If you don’t need the money what’s the point of this? Does it help with college if you already have a 35 on ACT???

Wow—actually a useful and cogent post on DCUM!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in a school. Many, many kids with diagnoses and school-based accommodations do NOT get extra time on the test. Even when they appeal. Many kids who don’t score high on the PSAT go on to score high on the SAT. Many kids who do get NMSF honor are disappointed to discover it’s not the golden ticket to a top college they had hoped it would be. In fact, they will find out that some of their lower-performing classmates will get in over them for a range of different reasons, some of which might feel unfair. After, some of the kids who got into their preferred college will be deliriously happy, and some will be unhappy. That’s true for the kids who go to their “safety” as well. If only a test could guarantee success and happiness for our children! Just help them keep it in perspective. It’s one test on one day, it predicts very little about their future, and it won’t make or break their lives.

Why are you and other PPs raining on their parade? These kids did good. Let them enjoy it.

Who is raining on their parade? From what I can tell, most of the posters are parents who are sour grapes about the whole thing not going well. The post was really directed at them.

Like these?

Some of these results are a joke. Their parents bought them.

Many of the smartest kids from our school are not on the list. the cheaters are.

Getting NMSF in DC is almost just luck.

Yep. Several kids with extra time on the lists who don't use it in class but pulled it out for this and the SAT.
Their parents are masters at manipulating the system. Their classmates know who is legitimately smart and who worked the system---lots of chatter this week.
It ultimately won't be much of a bump for these kids as they are not near the top of the class so their grades do not match up with their inflated PSAT or SAT.

This is the type of poster who drags down every student on that list with these comments.

Name your school, PP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in a school. Many, many kids with diagnoses and school-based accommodations do NOT get extra time on the test. Even when they appeal. Many kids who don’t score high on the PSAT go on to score high on the SAT. Many kids who do get NMSF honor are disappointed to discover it’s not the golden ticket to a top college they had hoped it would be. In fact, they will find out that some of their lower-performing classmates will get in over them for a range of different reasons, some of which might feel unfair. After, some of the kids who got into their preferred college will be deliriously happy, and some will be unhappy. That’s true for the kids who go to their “safety” as well. If only a test could guarantee success and happiness for our children! Just help them keep it in perspective. It’s one test on one day, it predicts very little about their future, and it won’t make or break their lives.

Why are you and other PPs raining on their parade? These kids did good. Let them enjoy it.

Who is raining on their parade? From what I can tell, most of the posters are parents who are sour grapes about the whole thing not going well. The post was really directed at them.

Like these?

Some of these results are a joke. Their parents bought them.

Many of the smartest kids from our school are not on the list. the cheaters are.

Getting NMSF in DC is almost just luck.

Yep. Several kids with extra time on the lists who don't use it in class but pulled it out for this and the SAT.
Their parents are masters at manipulating the system. Their classmates know who is legitimately smart and who worked the system---lots of chatter this week.
It ultimately won't be much of a bump for these kids as they are not near the top of the class so their grades do not match up with their inflated PSAT or SAT.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The list from non-publics is tiny, 18 out of 158 in the county yowza.

A shade more than 11% is not as tiny as you might think. Two factors are in play, though -- there is a pretty big share of smart kids of well-off parents going to public in MoCo, and of the private kids, a lot of the smart-est and well-off-est are going to privates in Washington DC.

This is as good a place as any to note that NMSF has a different cut-off by state, and Washington DC's is historically very high, because it isn't a state. No idea if or when the College Board is planning to change that.

It's not because it isn't a state, it's because they has so few students that using the highest cut off actually gets DC more NMSFs than they would have using the standard formula used for states.

DC has five times as many test takers as Wyoming and half the number of NMSFs, so this is not correct.

*Wyoming number is half DCs, rather.

Actually both PPs are right -- because it isn't a state, they don't get a proportional allocation, but the reason they use the highest state cut score is related to the proportional representation goals.

The number of NMSF allotted to each state is proportional to their number of graduating seniors in the 50 states (not test takers). California has about 13% of the nation's seniors, so they get 13% of the 16,000 state semifinalists (~2080 semi finalists, no matter what the scores are). The U.S. has ~4.1 million high school seniors. Wyoming has ~7500 seniors, so their allotment would be about ~31 semi finalists, depending on tied scores, etc. If the score calculated based on the allotment is below the commended score however, the commended score is used instead, so often a few states have a smaller number than their allotment would have been.

From the National Merit Scholarship Corp.:

"In addition to Semifinalists designated in each of the 50 states, and without affecting the allocation to any state, Semifinalists are named in several other selection units that NMSC has established for the competition. These additional units are for participants attending schools in the District of Columbia, schools in U.S. commonwealths and territories, schools in other countries that enroll U.S. citizens, and U.S. boarding schools that enroll a sizable proportion of their students from outside the state in which the school is located. Boarding schools are grouped into geographic regions, each consisting of several states; the Semifinalist qualifying score for students in each region is the same as the highest qualifying score among the states within that region." [emphasis added]

https://www.nationalmerit.org/s/1758/images/gid2/editor_documents/guide_to_the_national_merit_scholarship_program.pdf?gid=2&pgid=61

Not published in this document is the reason they chose the highest state cut off for DC and international citizens, but the commended score cut off for territories. Why didn't they all get to use commended? The answer was that by using commended as the cut score, the number of NMSF from DC and international students would have been disproportionately high for the number of students in the pool. DC usually has 200-300 commended students out of ~4,000 test takers, so 5%-8% when the goal is to make roughly the top 1% of test takers NMSF. On the other hand, by using the highest state's cut score, DC usually ends up at just about 1% of DC test takers, give or take. Also, DC has ~6400 seniors, so using a proportional allotment they would get about 26, which actually is fewer than they tend to have each year (30-50 generally).

DD was a seminfinalist last year. It's nice to have but doesn't do much for your application. She was asked to fill out the app for Presidential scholar and declined. She didn't want to work on yet another application! She's at HYP.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in a school. Many, many kids with diagnoses and school-based accommodations do NOT get extra time on the test. Even when they appeal. Many kids who don’t score high on the PSAT go on to score high on the SAT. Many kids who do get NMSF honor are disappointed to discover it’s not the golden ticket to a top college they had hoped it would be. In fact, they will find out that some of their lower-performing classmates will get in over them for a range of different reasons, some of which might feel unfair. After, some of the kids who got into their preferred college will be deliriously happy, and some will be unhappy. That’s true for the kids who go to their “safety” as well. If only a test could guarantee success and happiness for our children! Just help them keep it in perspective. It’s one test on one day, it predicts very little about their future, and it won’t make or break their lives.

Why are you and other PPs raining on their parade? These kids did good. Let them enjoy it.

Who is raining on their parade? From what I can tell, most of the posters are parents who are sour grapes about the whole thing not going well. The post was really directed at them.

Like these?

Some of these results are a joke. Their parents bought them.

Many of the smartest kids from our school are not on the list. the cheaters are.

Getting NMSF in DC is almost just luck.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I work in a school. Many, many kids with diagnoses and school-based accommodations do NOT get extra time on the test. Even when they appeal. Many kids who don’t score high on the PSAT go on to score high on the SAT. Many kids who do get NMSF honor are disappointed to discover it’s not the golden ticket to a top college they had hoped it would be. In fact, they will find out that some of their lower-performing classmates will get in over them for a range of different reasons, some of which might feel unfair. After, some of the kids who got into their preferred college will be deliriously happy, and some will be unhappy. That’s true for the kids who go to their “safety” as well. If only a test could guarantee success and happiness for our children! Just help them keep it in perspective. It’s one test on one day, it predicts very little about their future, and it won’t make or break their lives.

Why are you and other PPs raining on their parade? These kids did good. Let them enjoy it.

Who is raining on their parade? From what I can tell, most of the posters are parents who are sour grapes about the whole thing not going well. The post was really directed at them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The list from non-publics is tiny, 18 out of 158 in the county yowza.

A shade more than 11% is not as tiny as you might think. Two factors are in play, though -- there is a pretty big share of smart kids of well-off parents going to public in MoCo, and of the private kids, a lot of the smart-est and well-off-est are going to privates in Washington DC.

This is as good a place as any to note that NMSF has a different cut-off by state, and Washington DC's is historically very high, because it isn't a state. No idea if or when the College Board is planning to change that.

It's not because it isn't a state, it's because they has so few students that using the highest cut off actually gets DC more NMSFs than they would have using the standard formula used for states.

DC has five times as many test takers as Wyoming and half the number of NMSFs, so this is not correct.

*Wyoming number is half DCs, rather.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The list from non-publics is tiny, 18 out of 158 in the county yowza.

A shade more than 11% is not as tiny as you might think. Two factors are in play, though -- there is a pretty big share of smart kids of well-off parents going to public in MoCo, and of the private kids, a lot of the smart-est and well-off-est are going to privates in Washington DC.

This is as good a place as any to note that NMSF has a different cut-off by state, and Washington DC's is historically very high, because it isn't a state. No idea if or when the College Board is planning to change that.

It's not because it isn't a state, it's because they has so few students that using the highest cut off actually gets DC more NMSFs than they would have using the standard formula used for states.

DC has five times as many test takers as Wyoming and half the number of NMSFs, so this is not correct.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's me, your local testaholic!

The local lists are starting to come out.

https://www.mymcmedia.org/158-county-students-named-national-merit-semifinalists/

Congrats to the following MoCo non-publics whose students made the list:

Holton-Arms School (5)
Georgetown Preparatory School (3)
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School (2)
Heights School (1)
Landon School (1)
Living Grace Christian School (1)
Sandy Spring Friends School (1)
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (1)
Washington Waldorf School (1)
Yeshiva of Greater Washington (1)
Homeschool (1)


Congrats especially to Living Grace Christian School (tuition $5,750) and Yeshiva of Greater Washington ($19,950), which I have never seen on this board, for tying perpetual DCUM topics Landon ($52,360) and SSFS ($43,200), and defeating Bullis ($53,405 tuition, zero NMSF).

[Yes, I know the school doesn't necessarily have that much to do students' success on the SAT -- intentionally so, via test design -- but I enjoy being snarky.]

And that's it in a nutshell for Bullis. They just aren't a strong school - never has been. And the majority of the faculty have no respect for the Head. Think twice before you invest those dollars when there are so many other great choices in the DMV.

Bullis’ high school tuition is over $57,000.

Wow!

Anonymous wrote:It's me, your local testaholic!

The local lists are starting to come out.

https://www.mymcmedia.org/158-county-students-named-national-merit-semifinalists/

Congrats to the following MoCo non-publics whose students made the list:

Holton-Arms School (5)
Georgetown Preparatory School (3)
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School (2)
Heights School (1)
Landon School (1)
Living Grace Christian School (1)
Sandy Spring Friends School (1)
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (1)
Washington Waldorf School (1)
Yeshiva of Greater Washington (1)
Homeschool (1)


Congrats especially to Living Grace Christian School (tuition $5,750) and Yeshiva of Greater Washington ($19,950), which I have never seen on this board, for tying perpetual DCUM topics Landon ($52,360) and SSFS ($43,200), and defeating Bullis ($53,405 tuition, zero NMSF).

[Yes, I know the school doesn't necessarily have that much to do students' success on the SAT -- intentionally so, via test design -- but I enjoy being snarky.]

You're using this word wrong. Special ed parents here like me are chuckling. But I haven't read any responses yet

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More added:

Holton-Arms School (5)
Georgetown Preparatory School (3)
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School (2)
Heights School (1)
Landon School (1)
Living Grace Christian School (1)
Sandy Spring Friends School (1)
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (1)
Washington Waldorf School (1)
Yeshiva of Greater Washington (1)
Homeschool (1)
SSSA (4)
Bishop Ireton (1)
Immanuel Christian (2)

And now:
Oakcrest (1)
New School of Northern Virginia (1)
Pinnacle Academy (1)
Trinity Christian (1)
Trinity School at Mountain View (1)
Dominion Christian School (1)
Basis Independent McLean (4)
Madeir
Potomac School (9)
Flint Hill (2)
Ideaventions Academy of Math and Science (2)

Zero from PVI? Or does this list not include Loudoun County privates?

Replying to my own self in case anyone else looks for this: PVi had two: https://www.reddit.com/r/psat/comments/1fekyi6/2025_nmsf_virginia/#lightbox

How about Visi and Stonebridge?

Stone Ridge

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's me, your local testaholic!

The local lists are starting to come out.

https://www.mymcmedia.org/158-county-students-named-national-merit-semifinalists/

Congrats to the following MoCo non-publics whose students made the list:

Holton-Arms School (5)
Georgetown Preparatory School (3)
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School (2)
Heights School (1)
Landon School (1)
Living Grace Christian School (1)
Sandy Spring Friends School (1)
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (1)
Washington Waldorf School (1)
Yeshiva of Greater Washington (1)
Homeschool (1)


Congrats especially to Living Grace Christian School (tuition $5,750) and Yeshiva of Greater Washington ($19,950), which I have never seen on this board, for tying perpetual DCUM topics Landon ($52,360) and SSFS ($43,200), and defeating Bullis ($53,405 tuition, zero NMSF).

[Yes, I know the school doesn't necessarily have that much to do students' success on the SAT -- intentionally so, via test design -- but I enjoy being snarky.]

And that's it in a nutshell for Bullis. They just aren't a strong school - never has been. And the majority of the faculty have no respect for the Head. Think twice before you invest those dollars when there are so many other great choices in the DMV.

Bullis’ high school tuition is over $57,000.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More added:

Holton-Arms School (5)
Georgetown Preparatory School (3)
Our Lady of Good Counsel High School (2)
Heights School (1)
Landon School (1)
Living Grace Christian School (1)
Sandy Spring Friends School (1)
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (1)
Washington Waldorf School (1)
Yeshiva of Greater Washington (1)
Homeschool (1)
SSSA (4)
Bishop Ireton (1)
Immanuel Christian (2)

And now:
Oakcrest (1)
New School of Northern Virginia (1)
Pinnacle Academy (1)
Trinity Christian (1)
Trinity School at Mountain View (1)
Dominion Christian School (1)
Basis Independent McLean (4)
Madeir
Potomac School (9)
Flint Hill (2)
Ideaventions Academy of Math and Science (2)

Zero from PVI? Or does this list not include Loudoun County privates?

Replying to my own self in case anyone else looks for this: PVi had two: https://www.reddit.com/r/psat/comments/1fekyi6/2025_nmsf_virginia/#lightbox

How about Visi and Stonebridge?