national merit semifinalists announced - link to area schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When will the new list come out?

The official release date is tomorrow. The lists were circulated to news outlets and schools on Monday, I believe. The info is embargoed until Sept 12 though.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone seen the list of dc students named NMSF?

[Anonymous]

They were announced at our MCPS yesterday. 24 of them.

[Anonymous]

SAM2 wrote:It would be interesting to see what percentage of students admitted to local private schools for 9th grade (the same year as admission to Blair and TJ) were awarded NMSF honors. That would be closer to an apples-to-apples comparison.

What would be more interesting to me is if they took a group of children with the exact same scores in 8th grade, send them to Blair/TJ/GP/Gonzaga/Seneca Vally/Gaithersburg/Blake/etc and then took their scores later and see if there is a difference. (not that I think tests show more than the ability to take a test).

I would also like to see if a TJ or Blair had the sibling rule if they would still be able to produce as many children with NMSF honors.

I have a friend who is a principal who bemoans the fact that all their best student are shipped off to other schools. What great leaders they could be in their local school, it's not like they all of a sudden will stop taking these test better. But it's the game that gets houses sold. Who doesn't want a house in the district with the highest ranked schools (since the NMS goes into the equation as well as a bunch of other things kids who can ace these tests can do - AP testing/etc.).

By the way - I am very proud of these kids (and I know some personally). I think though it is the child that is the NMSF not the school.

[Anonymous]

What I find interesting is that many of the MCPS students who get natl merit scholarships will be attending UMD, and just a handful are going to private universities: www.gazette.net/article/20120606/news/706069902/1225/news&source=rss&template=gazette

Although on DCUM exmissions to ivies is generally taken as as a measure of the quality of a school and its students, this speaks volumes (to me at least) about whether exmissions to ivies is a valid indicator of the quality of MCPS students. It looks like finances - that in-state UMD tuition - are a big part of MCPS exmissions picture.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone provide a link to the list?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone provide a link to the list?

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?page=showrelease&id=3226

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I find interesting is that many of the MCPS students who get natl merit scholarships will be attending UMD, and just a handful are going to private universities: www.gazette.net/article/20120606/news/706069902/1225/news&source=rss&template=gazette

Although on DCUM exmissions to ivies is generally taken as as a measure of the quality of a school and its students, this speaks volumes (to me at least) about whether exmissions to ivies is a valid indicator of the quality of MCPS students. It looks like finances - that in-state UMD tuition - are a big part of MCPS exmissions picture.

I think the way the article's written is causing you to misunderstand the logic here. This is a list of students who are receiving College and University Scholarship Awards. So the only students eligible for the awards are those NM Finalists who happen to be attending one of the colleges that sponsors such awards. What this list shows is that UMD sponsors lots more of these awards than many other colleges that local NM Finalists are attending, not that most NM Finalists are attending UMD.

It turns out, there's lots of controversy in recent years over how many of these National Merit Scholarship awards colleges will sponsor. It sounds like University of Texas used to sponsor the most, but then recently decided not to sponsor any. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/09/01/merit Here is a list of those colleges that sponsor such scholarships. http://www.nationalmerit.org/student_guide.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone provide a link to the list?

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?page=showrelease&id=3226

Here is a list that includes private schools. I can't vouch for accuracy. http://connectedcommunities.us/showthread.php?t=51511

[Anonymous]

Where are the other schools like Sidwell, NCS, Maret,etc?

[Anonymous]

How many national merit semifinalists did SSSAS have?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are the other schools like Sidwell, NCS, Maret,etc?

Doesn't look like they have any.

[Anonymous]

The link above is only for MD schools. I did read that all the numbers were down across the board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are the other schools like Sidwell, NCS, Maret,etc?

Looks like the list was MoCo only.

[Anonymous]

If I recall correctly, MontCo is always quite willing to make a press release. The DC private schools seem to do it school by school, until someone like the NW Gazette compiles.