Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:58
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Given FCPS’s ongoing decline and commitment to mediocrity recognizing the local kids who still are in the top 3% is the least we should do.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:50
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:This is purely based on PSAT scores being in the top 1% of the state (semifinalist) or top 2-3% (commended).
i.e. this is a metric for who can afford SAT tutoring.
My child missed nmsf by one point and had zero tutoring nor was any tutoring something we could budget for. But thanks for your assumptions
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:47
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:This is purely based on PSAT scores being in the top 1% of the state (semifinalist) or top 2-3% (commended).
i.e. this is a metric for who can afford SAT tutoring.
Take your anti-merit BS elsewhere.
Meh. I taught 8 of the kids on the list from one of the schools with more than 8 names. I can say with certainty that 7 of those kids took the same private prep class. Did they work hard? Sure. Are they smarter/more talented than the kid at a neighboring school who couldn't afford the class and only worked through the free practice problems online through khan academy? No. I am all for cheering on those kids who did it--they worked hard! Good for them! But using it to compare one school to another is wild, you are just comparing socioeconomic status.
(And I was a NMS 22 years ago).
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:46
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Are these current seniors or 11th graders? If seniors, does this mean the students did not have this commendation when they applied to colleges?
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:45
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:And people say Chantilly is "bad" or "mediocre."
Who says that? Probably only some Oakton parents wanting to stay put.
Chantilly has made its way into the top 5 of non-TJ schools. It now has the role that Woodson used to have - a top school academically but more affordable than the other pyramids in the top 5.
Even those parents who want to stay at Oakton think Chantilly is a good school. Also, Woodson is still a top 5 school…
It really isn’t. Chantilly any Marshall both have stronger claims to be top 5 or 6 now than Woodson.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:43
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:This is purely based on PSAT scores being in the top 1% of the state (semifinalist) or top 2-3% (commended).
i.e. this is a metric for who can afford SAT tutoring.
It is more then just who can afford SAT tutoring but also what schools have parents and/or students that are really invested in academic success. SLHS has 0 commended and one semi-finalist. There are parents who have enough money to pay for SAT tutoring but the culture at the school is not one where the kids feel competitive or pushed. The IB schools combined barely equal Oakton.
I don’t know if the kids who are more academically driven are pupil placing to other schools or what but the overall showing at the IB schools is not great.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:41
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:And people say Chantilly is "bad" or "mediocre."
Who says that? Probably only some Oakton parents wanting to stay put.
Chantilly has made its way into the top 5 of non-TJ schools. It now has the role that Woodson used to have - a top school academically but more affordable than the other pyramids in the top 5.
Even those parents who want to stay at Oakton think Chantilly is a good school. Also, Woodson is still a top 5 school…
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:37
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:This is purely based on PSAT scores being in the top 1% of the state (semifinalist) or top 2-3% (commended).
i.e. this is a metric for who can afford SAT tutoring.
Take your anti-merit BS elsewhere.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:35
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Commended is meaningless.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:29
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
This is purely based on PSAT scores being in the top 1% of the state (semifinalist) or top 2-3% (commended).
i.e. this is a metric for who can afford SAT tutoring.
i.e. this is a metric for who can afford SAT tutoring.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:05
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Jeez, what’s going on at Woodson? Terrible showing.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 13:26
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:And people say Chantilly is "bad" or "mediocre."
Who says that? Probably only some Oakton parents wanting to stay put.
Chantilly has made its way into the top 5 of non-TJ schools. It now has the role that Woodson used to have - a top school academically but more affordable than the other pyramids in the top 5.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 13:17
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:FCPS has posted about the 770 students named National Merit Commended Students. They've started publicizing this more since the incident where school administrators at TJ and Langley weren't bothering to tell students they were commended students. https://www.fcps.edu/news/770-fcps-students-named-national-merit-commended-scholars
TJHSST 196 (113 NSMF) - 59.7%
McLean 83 (20 NMSF) - 16.5%
Langley 82 (23 NMSF) - 19.7%
Chantilly 65 (17 NMSF) - 9.9%
Oakton 61 (25 NMSF) - 12.2%
Madison 47 (8 NMSF) - 11.0%
Lake Braddock 37 (5 NMSF) - 5.3%
Centreville 30 (7 NMSF) - 6.0%
Marshall 29 (15 NMSF) - 7.7%
Robinson 29 (0 NMSF) - 4.1%
West Springfield 27 (2 NMSF) - 4.0%
Westfield 21 (6 NMSF) - 3.9%
Fairfax 14 (5 NMSF) - 3.2%
Edison 12 (2 NMSF) - 2.5%
Falls Church 12 (1 NMSF) - 2.7%
Hayfield 7 (0 NMSF) - 1.3%
Woodson 7 (8 NMSF) - 2.4%
Herndon 5 (2 NMSF) - 1.4%
Annandale 3 (0 NMSF) - 0.6%
Justice 2 (1 NMSF) - 0.5%
West Potomac 1 (1 NMSF) - 0.3%
Lewis 0 (0 NMSF) - 0%
Mount Vernon 0 (0 NMSF) - 0%
South County 0 (0 NMSF) - 0%
South Lakes 0 (1 NMSF) - 0.2%
Annotated to add # of NMFSs and % of senior class either National Merit Semifinalist or Commended Student.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 13:06
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
And people say Chantilly is "bad" or "mediocre."
Anonymous
01/19/2026 12:57
Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
FCPS has posted about the 770 students named National Merit Commended Students. They've started publicizing this more since the incident where school administrators at TJ and Langley weren't bothering to tell students they were commended students. https://www.fcps.edu/news/770-fcps-students-named-national-merit-commended-scholars
TJHSST 196
McLean 83
Langley 82
Chantilly 65
Oakton 61
Madison 47
Lake Braddock 37
Centreville 30
Marshall 29
Robinson 29
West Springfield 27
Westfield 21
Fairfax 14
Edison 12
Falls Church 12
Hayfield 7
Woodson 7
Herndon 5
Annandale 3
Justice 2
West Potomac 1
Lewis 0
Mount Vernon 0
South County 0
South Lakes 0
TJHSST 196
McLean 83
Langley 82
Chantilly 65
Oakton 61
Madison 47
Lake Braddock 37
Centreville 30
Marshall 29
Robinson 29
West Springfield 27
Westfield 21
Fairfax 14
Edison 12
Falls Church 12
Hayfield 7
Woodson 7
Herndon 5
Annandale 3
Justice 2
West Potomac 1
Lewis 0
Mount Vernon 0
South County 0
South Lakes 0