Anonymous wrote:Here are the reported numbers of National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) from 2018 through 2025:

Year Number of Semifinalists
2018 145
2019 159
2020 157
2021 Data not available
2022 Data not available
2023 Data not available
2024 165
2025 81

Please note that the data for 2021, 2022, and 2023 is not available. The significant decrease in the number of semifinalists from 165 in 2024 to 81 in 2025, despite an increase in class size from approximately 450 to 550 students, has been a topic of discussion. This decline coincided with the shift from a merit-based to an equity-based admissions process at TJHSST in 2021

And, the local high schools have likely had a big increase. I know my DD's high school (she was commended) has dramatically increased since they limited the number of kids per middle school.

Anonymous wrote:It’s crazy that FCPS is touting a 40% increase in NMSF without mentioning that there was basically a 40% drop last year (they certainly didn’t put that in last year’s press release!). Basically I’m glad they’re back to normal but it’s really smarmy to act like they caused a 40% increase.

They take credit for anything they can, especially when there's a bond on the fall ballot or an election coming up.

The 262 NMSFs this year is higher than normal, and just shy of the Class of 2024, which was very high at 264. And the cut-off for VA this year was quite high; only Massachusetts and New Jersey (and DC, whose cutoff is always pegged to the highest state cutoff) had higher cutoffs.

Last year was very low because the TJ number was 1/2 of what it was the year before. The Class of 2025 at TJ was kind of a mess. The number this year is still lower than the TJ number used to be but this year may be closer to the new normal for TJ and other schools appear to be picking up the slack.

It’s crazy that FCPS is touting a 40% increase in NMSF without mentioning that there was basically a 40% drop last year (they certainly didn’t put that in last year’s press release!). Basically I’m glad they’re back to normal but it’s really smarmy to act like they caused a 40% increase.

I know I posted in both threads, and in the other one gave the caveat that this is what ChatGPT shared... too lazy to do the look up myself

Anonymous wrote:Here are the reported numbers of National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) from 2018 through 2025:

Year Number of Semifinalists
2018 145
2019 159
2020 157
2021 Data not available
2022 Data not available
2023 Data not available
2024 165
2025 81

Please note that the data for 2021, 2022, and 2023 is not available. The significant decrease in the number of semifinalists from 165 in 2024 to 81 in 2025, despite an increase in class size from approximately 450 to 550 students, has been a topic of discussion. This decline coincided with the shift from a merit-based to an equity-based admissions process at TJHSST in 2021

There’s another thread in the AAP forum where people noted the TJ numbers for several of the years where you’re saying they aren’t available.

Here are the reported numbers of National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) from 2018 through 2025:

Year Number of Semifinalists
2018 145
2019 159
2020 157
2021 Data not available
2022 Data not available
2023 Data not available
2024 165
2025 81

Please note that the data for 2021, 2022, and 2023 is not available. The significant decrease in the number of semifinalists from 165 in 2024 to 81 in 2025, despite an increase in class size from approximately 450 to 550 students, has been a topic of discussion. This decline coincided with the shift from a merit-based to an equity-based admissions process at TJHSST in 2021

TJ numbers are up over last year but still much lower than Classes of 2019 to 2024. It’s other schools that have seen their numbers increase over this period.

Anonymous wrote:This list is so meaningless. Unless you’re trying to just say almost all the smart kids go to TJ and everyone else is trash.

Not making NMSF is not trash. For goodness sakes.

And about 100 students making the cut at TJ is average for what it's been for...decades. Absolutely decades. Which implies either the test is getting easier or TJ is providing the same education it's been providing all this time. Or parents of academic kids are backfilling any gaps. No matter what it's a kind of interesting data point.

Anonymous wrote:This list is so meaningless. Unless you’re trying to just say almost all the smart kids go to TJ and everyone else is trash.

Dumb take.

Anonymous wrote:This list is so meaningless. Unless you’re trying to just say almost all the smart kids go to TJ and everyone else is trash.

I think that’s pretty obvious, don’t you?

This list is so meaningless. Unless you’re trying to just say almost all the smart kids go to TJ and everyone else is trash.

What percentage are Asian?

Changes since Class of 2025:

TJ 113 (+32)
Oakton 25 (+14)
Langley 23 (+4)
McLean 20 (+4)
Chantilly 17 (+7)
Marshall 15 (+10)
Madison 8 (-1)
Woodson 8 (+2)
Centreville 7 (+4)
Westfield 6 (+3)
Fairfax 5 (+1)
Lake Braddock 5 (-4)
Edison 2 (same)
Herndon 2 (+1)
West Springfield 2 (-1)
Falls Church 1 (+1)
Justice 1 (+1)
South Lakes 1 (-2)
West Potomac 1 (same)
Annandale 0 (same)
Hayfield 0 (-1)
Lewis 0 (same)
Mount Vernon 0 (same)
Robinson 0 (-4)
South County 0 (same)

Holy cow TJ. Congrats to all the semi finalists.

FCPS announced 262 National Merit Semifinalists in the Class of 2026, a 40% increase compared to 2025.

https://www.fcps.edu/news/262-fcps-students-named-2026-national-merit-semifinalists-0

By school:

TJ 113
Oakton 25
Langley 23
McLean 20
Chantilly 17
Marshall 15
Madison 8
Woodson 8
Centreville 7
Westfield 6
Fairfax 5
Lake Braddock 5
Edison 2
Herndon 2
West Springfield 2
Falls Church 1
Justice 1
South Lakes 1
West Potomac 1
Annandale 0
Hayfield 0
Lewis 0
Mount Vernon 0
Robinson 0
South County 0