Announcing National Merit Semi-Finalists

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public schools are just as impressive. These numbers aren’t great.

More impressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gonzaga?

Doesn't look like they had anyone this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, NCS stands out for DC result. JR underperforms given its overall class size. Washington Latin also punched above its weight. Maret was lackluster. St. Anselm's was very respectable. GDS and Sidwell were as expected.

Is that 4% of NCS junior class? I would have thought higher for a Big 3 wealthy private. What about St Albans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public schools are just as impressive. These numbers aren’t great.

More impressive.

That’s not new. Thomas Jefferson magnet has 100+ semifinalists annually for every year since I’ve been following the data.

[Anonymous]

Maryland 2026
https://drive.google.com/...XziJF/view
Virginia 2026
https://drive.google.com/...TblSu/view
DC 2026 (part of full list for all states)
https://www.reddit.com/r/psat/comments/1nilcp6/2026_national_merit_for_alaska_arizona_colorado/#lightbox

[Anonymous]

Private schools actually select kids for admissions using similar tests and have years to weed out less impressive students. Given that, it's the private schools that are underperforming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public schools are just as impressive. These numbers aren’t great.

10% of the class isn't great?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private schools actually select kids for admissions using similar tests and have years to weed out less impressive students. Given that, it's the private schools that are underperforming.

So, you expect every private school student to get a perfect score on PSAT/NMSQT and the College Board to then award 100% of students NMSF status instead of the intended 1%?

[Anonymous]

Our Big3 private did not emphasize the PSAT at all and our college counselor was actually super blaze about the SAT/ACT as well (which I thought was strange). He/she was fine with a 1450, 1500, 1550. It was all "yeah, that's great."
Our school did not administer the PSAT in 10th grade. My public school 10th grader in comparison took it in 10th grade and we have friends whose schools offered it in 9th and 10th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private schools actually select kids for admissions using similar tests and have years to weed out less impressive students. Given that, it's the private schools that are underperforming.

So, you expect every private school student to get a perfect score on PSAT/NMSQT and the College Board to then award 100% of students NMSF status instead of the intended 1%?

I'd expect a school that screens every applicant with IQ tests to have more than the 3-4 high scorers that many non-selective schools have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private schools actually select kids for admissions using similar tests and have years to weed out less impressive students. Given that, it's the private schools that are underperforming.

What kind of screening do you think private schools are doing when the applicants are 3 or 4 years old?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private schools actually select kids for admissions using similar tests and have years to weed out less impressive students. Given that, it's the private schools that are underperforming.

So, you expect every private school student to get a perfect score on PSAT/NMSQT and the College Board to then award 100% of students NMSF status instead of the intended 1%?

You might be aware that there are some percentages that fall between 1 percent and 100 percent.

Perhaps students who were competitively selected using test scores and weeded out for learning disabilities whose parents are able to pay 55k a year might be better off on average than the average public school student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private schools actually select kids for admissions using similar tests and have years to weed out less impressive students. Given that, it's the private schools that are underperforming.

What kind of screening do you think private schools are doing when the applicants are 3 or 4 years old?

There have been many posts on this board arguing that most private school kids don’t come in at ages 3 or 4 and that most kids are chosen in a meritocratic way and not based on who their parents are. Which is it?

Private schools insist they have superior outcomes to public schools, until they are shown data suggesting otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private schools actually select kids for admissions using similar tests and have years to weed out less impressive students. Given that, it's the private schools that are underperforming.

What kind of screening do you think private schools are doing when the applicants are 3 or 4 years old?

They screen for family wealth and educational background which, as people on this forum will tell you, will yield a class of rich kids with smart parents who have every advantage in life. They also get rid of students - oh, counsel out, sorry - who aren’t doing weel (unless their family is VERY rich). When privates’ numbers are up, parents crow about how wonderful their kids are. When their numbers are down, they say how unimportant the tests are.

Privates that charge $60k/yr should be doing better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our Big3 private did not emphasize the PSAT at all and our college counselor was actually super blaze about the SAT/ACT as well (which I thought was strange). He/she was fine with a 1450, 1500, 1550. It was all "yeah, that's great."
Our school did not administer the PSAT in 10th grade. My public school 10th grader in comparison took it in 10th grade and we have friends whose schools offered it in 9th and 10th grade.

It’s the same at Holton. No PSAT in 9th or 10th grade. Just the 11th grade one at school, as practice for the SAT.