Reply to 2020 National Merit semifinalists in DC

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don't know anyone in DC who cares about this test and very few kids who prep for it. So maybe that't the problem? Nobody cares.[/quote]

Yea, because you probably don't have a clue about what it takes to crack an Ivy, Stanford, MIT, a military academy, even a flagship state school etc., like most DC public school parents.

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BS. If you are a recruitable athlete or legacy, you don't need anywhere near a NMSF PSAT score to get into the most highly selective private universities. Short of that, you need a 1500 SAT (lower than NMSF level), great grades, and a unique hook. [/quote]

You're painting with too broad a brush, PP.  Much depends on where a college applicant applies.  Harvard's legacy admit rate is only around 20% now - it was close to 60% as recently as the mid 80s.  You can bet that Ivy applicants who are NMSF semifinalists get a second look, and that legacies whose parents aren't willing and able to donate campus buildings and endowed chairs no longer breeze into top schools with mediocre standardized test scores.  The PSAT is not required to apply anywhere, meaning that PSAT scores are very seldom submitted with applications.  All that SAT scores of 700 plus per section guarantee is that your UMC applicant's application will be read in full.

Recruitable athletes are few and far between, particularly in DC public. The term "hook" in admissions is generally used to indicate that a faculty or staff member of the college is fighting an applicant's corner, trying to ensure that they're admitted and induced to enroll, e.g. a musician for an orchestra that needs a first-rate clarinet player.  This is a soft form of being recruited.  Right, having a niche interest to bring to the table certainly doesn't hurt.[/quote]

Don't kid yourself -- 20% compared to 5% for all applicants is still very a significant boost. And the bump for recruited athletes (20% of student body) whose standardized tests scores and GPA are within range for the university (do not need to be NMSF level) is even higher (83%). Of course if you are a recruitable athlete, who meets the criteria AND are a legacy your chances go way up.

Compared to that being a NMSF doesn't get you much unless you are applying to a flagship where they give full scholarships for finalists.[/quote]

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