Anonymous
02/18/2026 08:21
Subject: Re:Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:They gave the award to Trump.
And his grandkids. Some years in advance.
Does it still count if somebody else earns it and gives the medal to Trump?
Please don’t litter the college subforum with inane political chatter. Take it to the politics thread.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 17:35
Subject: Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
No one cares about this program because it is too late to include on the college apps.
Spring of senior year?
We used to to appreciate honors for the sake of it. It’s all too transactional now.
Spring of senior year?
We used to to appreciate honors for the sake of it. It’s all too transactional now.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 17:23
Subject: Re:Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:They gave the award to Trump.
And his grandkids. Some years in advance.
Does it still count if somebody else earns it and gives the medal to Trump?
Anonymous
02/17/2026 16:53
Subject: Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Anonymous wrote:Automatic Consideration: Candidates are identified based on high test scores (top 20 males/females in each state).
Nomination: CSSOs nominate candidates based on academic success and, in some cases, character.
Application: Invited students submit essays, self-assessments, and school reports.
I remember reading it had to be one sitting, not super-scored. In MCPS alone, there are enough perfect scores to make up the top 40 in the state. I don't think it's easy to get a nomination in Moco with anything other than a perfect school. You'll see a large portion of MD Presidential Scholars Candidates last year were from the magnet schools. The list posted below will give you a sense of the breakdown by DMV schools, which is pretty consistent.
Approximately 0.16% to 0.17% of U.S. high school seniors are nominated to be PS Candidates. Whereas NMSF I believe is top 4%.
https://www.ed.gov/media/document/2025-awards-candidates-presidential-scholar-program-109446.pdf
*score
Anonymous
02/17/2026 16:53
Subject: Re:Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Anonymous wrote:Huh. I've never heard of this program before this thread, but my kid is on the list of candidates, I'm guessing on the basis of their 1600 SAT? As best I can tell the award is a medal and name on a list sometime in the summer. In a busy senior spring semester, any opinions on whether the application is something I should encourage spending real time on?
My son thought it was a waste of time. Very hard to make it to SF much less Scholar. Agree with PP they're looking for exceptional national/international ECs.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 16:51
Subject: Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Automatic Consideration: Candidates are identified based on high test scores (top 20 males/females in each state).
Nomination: CSSOs nominate candidates based on academic success and, in some cases, character.
Application: Invited students submit essays, self-assessments, and school reports.
I remember reading it had to be one sitting, not super-scored. In MCPS alone, there are enough perfect scores to make up the top 40 in the state. I don't think it's easy to get a nomination in Moco with anything other than a perfect school. You'll see a large portion of MD Presidential Scholars Candidates last year were from the magnet schools. The list posted below will give you a sense of the breakdown by DMV schools, which is pretty consistent.
Approximately 0.16% to 0.17% of U.S. high school seniors are nominated to be PS Candidates. Whereas NMSF I believe is top 4%.
https://www.ed.gov/media/document/2025-awards-candidates-presidential-scholar-program-109446.pdf
Nomination: CSSOs nominate candidates based on academic success and, in some cases, character.
Application: Invited students submit essays, self-assessments, and school reports.
I remember reading it had to be one sitting, not super-scored. In MCPS alone, there are enough perfect scores to make up the top 40 in the state. I don't think it's easy to get a nomination in Moco with anything other than a perfect school. You'll see a large portion of MD Presidential Scholars Candidates last year were from the magnet schools. The list posted below will give you a sense of the breakdown by DMV schools, which is pretty consistent.
Approximately 0.16% to 0.17% of U.S. high school seniors are nominated to be PS Candidates. Whereas NMSF I believe is top 4%.
https://www.ed.gov/media/document/2025-awards-candidates-presidential-scholar-program-109446.pdf
Anonymous
02/17/2026 16:48
Subject: Re:Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Huh. I've never heard of this program before this thread, but my kid is on the list of candidates, I'm guessing on the basis of their 1600 SAT? As best I can tell the award is a medal and name on a list sometime in the summer. In a busy senior spring semester, any opinions on whether the application is something I should encourage spending real time on?
No. The fun is the list, not the award.
I’m trying to determine if this is serious? DC is already committed to their SCEA school, and the senioritis is real.
Can confirm 1590 single sitting SAT Virginia is on the list.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 16:38
Subject: Re:Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Anonymous wrote:They gave the award to Trump.
And his grandkids. Some years in advance.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 13:17
Subject: Re:Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Anonymous wrote:Huh. I've never heard of this program before this thread, but my kid is on the list of candidates, I'm guessing on the basis of their 1600 SAT? As best I can tell the award is a medal and name on a list sometime in the summer. In a busy senior spring semester, any opinions on whether the application is something I should encourage spending real time on?
No. The fun is the list, not the award.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 13:14
Subject: Re:Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Huh. I've never heard of this program before this thread, but my kid is on the list of candidates, I'm guessing on the basis of their 1600 SAT? As best I can tell the award is a medal and name on a list sometime in the summer. In a busy senior spring semester, any opinions on whether the application is something I should encourage spending real time on?
Anonymous
02/17/2026 13:14
Subject: Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Curious what score is needed in MD, VA, or DC to qualify as a candidate?
The only kids I knew were candidates had perfect SAT or ACT scores, also has to be in one sitting.
^^ MD
I'm amazed there are so many one sitting 1600 SATs in Maryland!
It should actually include 1590s with 800 math. The index is your ACT Math + English + Reading scores, and because they convert SAT to ACT scores using the official ACT concordance, a 790 ERW is equal to 72 and thus, for these purposes, a perfect score.
It’s also based on an absolute number of high-scoring kids (top 40 and everyone tied with them), unlike NMSF, which is a percentage of the state population. That’s why it’s harder to get NMSF in DC than in MD/VA but easier to make the presidential scholar’s eligibility list.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 13:02
Subject: Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Curious what score is needed in MD, VA, or DC to qualify as a candidate?
The only kids I knew were candidates had perfect SAT or ACT scores, also has to be in one sitting.
^^ MD
I'm amazed there are so many one sitting 1600 SATs in Maryland!
Anonymous
02/17/2026 12:58
Subject: Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Curious what score is needed in MD, VA, or DC to qualify as a candidate?
The only kids I knew were candidates had perfect SAT or ACT scores, also has to be in one sitting.
^^ MD
Anonymous
02/17/2026 12:58
Subject: Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Anonymous wrote:Curious what score is needed in MD, VA, or DC to qualify as a candidate?
The only kids I knew were candidates had perfect SAT or ACT scores, also has to be in one sitting.
Anonymous
02/17/2026 12:51
Subject: Is the Presidential Scholars Program canceled?
Curious what score is needed in MD, VA, or DC to qualify as a candidate?