Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 20:39     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Note: Students who have a signed opt-out form on file are not listed.

Did ANYONE read the whole page….
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 20:38     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Commended is meaningless.


As for the admin not telling students and the news reports up in arms about it, I had to explain to DH how commended means they are NOT a national merit finalist. It is like saying, congrats! You came really close! I still don't understand why this is a thing at all anywhere.


Are you and your DH both that stupid? It’s like saying someone got a silver medal rather than a gold one. It’s not a participation trophy because it’s reserved to kids still in the top 2-3%.


It's kind of like 4th place. The levels go from Commended to Semi-finalist to Finalist, and lastly, the actual National Merit Scholarship winners.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 19:35     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
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


I'm surprised at South Lakes.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 18:53     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:Lewis has two National Merit Commended Scholars. They were recognized by the school, and the whole Lewis community knows who they are. Yet they aren't named here.

Another example of the school board screwing Lewis over, I presume? Because if there's ever good news coming from Lewis, you can guarantee the school board will do everything to hide it.


I posted above about SoCo.

We aren't in that pyramid, but I would be shocked if they had zero commended. It doesn't track with what they normally produce
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 18:43     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Commended is meaningless.


As for the admin not telling students and the news reports up in arms about it, I had to explain to DH how commended means they are NOT a national merit finalist. It is like saying, congrats! You came really close! I still don't understand why this is a thing at all anywhere.


Are you and your DH both that stupid? It’s like saying someone got a silver medal rather than a gold one. It’s not a participation trophy because it’s reserved to kids still in the top 2-3%.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 18:37     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:Commended is meaningless.


As for the admin not telling students and the news reports up in arms about it, I had to explain to DH how commended means they are NOT a national merit finalist. It is like saying, congrats! You came really close! I still don't understand why this is a thing at all anywhere.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 18:17     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
It’s good to have periodic confirmation of some of the reasons why the top schools are the top schools.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 18:07     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lewis has two National Merit Commended Scholars. They were recognized by the school, and the whole Lewis community knows who they are. Yet they aren't named here.

Another example of the school board screwing Lewis over, I presume? Because if there's ever good news coming from Lewis, you can guarantee the school board will do everything to hide it.


Oh Noooo!
Fcps will be sue and all over the national news again with those names missing…

Last was TJ…
Now Lewis…?


I believe last time the problem was that they didn't notify the students, not that they didn't send out a press release

Also, whether a student is commended or not can easily be found out by having the student check their college board account.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 17:59     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:Lewis has two National Merit Commended Scholars. They were recognized by the school, and the whole Lewis community knows who they are. Yet they aren't named here.

Another example of the school board screwing Lewis over, I presume? Because if there's ever good news coming from Lewis, you can guarantee the school board will do everything to hide it.


Oh Noooo!
Fcps will be sue and all over the national news again with those names missing…

Last was TJ…
Now Lewis…?
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 17:47     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
I wonder how much those kids prepped.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 17:44     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
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…


So we get to simply make things up now? Numbers are numbers and ranks are ranks. Can't just say Woodson is top 5 because you feel like they deserve to be when the data shows differently.


I think the FCPS list is missing a lot of kids. None from South County or South Lakes? All of Woodson's have last names beginning with A or B? I bet the list will be updated.


Can confirm. My daughter is commended from Woodson, last name second half of the alphabet and she's missing. I'm sure lots more there with her. We've got a lot of Nguyens at Woodson and I'd be shocked if not one was commended.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 17:30     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:
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…


So we get to simply make things up now? Numbers are numbers and ranks are ranks. Can't just say Woodson is top 5 because you feel like they deserve to be when the data shows differently.


I think the FCPS list is missing a lot of kids. None from South County or South Lakes? All of Woodson's have last names beginning with A or B? I bet the list will be updated.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 17:21     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Lewis has two National Merit Commended Scholars. They were recognized by the school, and the whole Lewis community knows who they are. Yet they aren't named here.

Another example of the school board screwing Lewis over, I presume? Because if there's ever good news coming from Lewis, you can guarantee the school board will do everything to hide it.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 16:12     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:Are these current seniors or 11th graders? If seniors, does this mean the students did not have this commendation when they applied to colleges?


Current Seniors, and they knew back before apps were due. My kid is one of these on the list and did not take any prep course for PSAT. Their SAT was very good but not amazing (1420); self-study for that but no formal prep.
Anonymous
Post 01/19/2026 16:03     Subject: FCPS National Merit Commended Students by High School
Anonymous wrote:
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…


So we get to simply make things up now? Numbers are numbers and ranks are ranks. Can't just say Woodson is top 5 because you feel like they deserve to be when the data shows differently.


What are you going on about? Woodson is #2 in the county (minus TJ) this year per US News and World Report, the same source FCPS uses and when people are house hunting. It’s great you use your own independent analysis but most don’t. By the way this is separate than a conversation about how great Chantilly is and it is a great school.