Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 11:02     Subject: Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:No Gonzaga?


HAHAHA no.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 11:01     Subject: Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This list makes no sense if you compare it to previous years. Sidwell has more finalists than it normally would. St. Albans only one. GDS only one. None for Gonzaga (which typically has 5ish). Nothing for Walls.

My kids don't go to any of these schools, but, I wonder what the deal is. This isn't something I'd be bragging about over at Sidwell. I think this list is really weird and possibly incomplete or manipulated in some way.


Sidewall had 13 last year and 15 this year. Are you implying that these strong results are something g the kids should be proud of because it must have been some kind of weird fluke to increase by, gasp, 2 student semi-finalists, and that that indicates some kind of manipulation. What’s “weird” about that? Like the posters who suggested sone kind of push by Sidwell for students to provide SAT scores, even though that would not have been available as the school had host a psat test last year. Could you possibly simply offer recognition if a job well done by these kids? And I haven’t seen any bragging by Sidwell. But to imply that the kids gain the award through some nefarious process such that they and their parents shouldn’t be proud us simply inappropriate. Kind of like arguing that am election is “rigged”, and implicating the prevailing party, just because some people didn’t get the result they want.


I counted 16 for Sidwell.


+/- 3 is a big difference! LOL. Maret is 2.5 time more as compared to last year. WIS is double the number. Sidwell is just 20% more
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 10:58     Subject: Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
By the way, if you do the math, generally SAT 1500 is too low to qualify PSAT 224. You need to have SAT around 1500+ to get PSAT cut off 224.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 10:52     Subject: Re:Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
I was a NMSF myself and do interviews for an Ivy.

There is no question that these kids are great students and tend to get in the top schools.

Obviously, the results are somewhat skewed this year, so I suspect that will factor into admissions.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 10:49     Subject: Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:This list makes no sense if you compare it to previous years. Sidwell has more finalists than it normally would. St. Albans only one. GDS only one. None for Gonzaga (which typically has 5ish). Nothing for Walls.

My kids don't go to any of these schools, but, I wonder what the deal is. This isn't something I'd be bragging about over at Sidwell. I think this list is really weird and possibly incomplete or manipulated in some way.


Sidewall had 13 last year and 15 this year. Are you implying that these strong results are something g the kids should be proud of because it must have been some kind of weird fluke to increase by, gasp, 2 student semi-finalists, and that that indicates some kind of manipulation. What’s “weird” about that? Like the posters who suggested sone kind of push by Sidwell for students to provide SAT scores, even though that would not have been available as the school had host a psat test last year. Could you possibly simply offer recognition if a job well done by these kids? And I haven’t seen any bragging by Sidwell. But to imply that the kids gain the award through some nefarious process such that they and their parents shouldn’t be proud us simply inappropriate. Kind of like arguing that am election is “rigged”, and implicating the prevailing party, just because some people didn’t get the result they want.


I counted 16 for Sidwell.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 10:46     Subject: Re:Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As a former NMSF myself, I can’t figure out for the life of me why anyone cares about this.


Same. It varies from class to class and is not a predictor of college admissions or success later in life. Knowing that a sidwell parent is likely posting this stuff is a complete deterrent from the school, though!


This is not difficult. The reason you care about this as a teen is that you list national (and other) prizes and awards on college applications. Maybe you don't care. You have no way of knowing whether the ad committee as SLAC xyz cares a lot, but you do know that you want to attend SLAC xyz and it has a 10% admission rate.

Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 10:43     Subject: Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:I expect this has alot to do with the fact that Wilson didn't offer a PSAT or SAT to juniors last year but the privates did.


Also SWW right? historically SWW and BASIS especially have at least one+ finalists. Occasionally Banneker and Latin.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 10:34     Subject: Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Sidwell offered the PSAT on campus, so the kids didn't use the SAT route.


Many did.


How is that possible? If you school offered the PSAT, you were not eligible to use the easier AE.


Same question here: if your school offered PSAT, will you be able to submit SAT as an alternative?


No, and if you consider the average SAT scores at several schools, nearly a quarter of the class would have qualified under SAT submission. However, in announcing the change for this year only, the college board said they would use PSAT scores to calculate the cut off (so it shouldn't have mattered which you took), but in the end, they used the SAT instead and allowed people to submit any SAT they took, thus allowing multiple bites at the apple for some of those kids, which of course advantaged those who planned to use or had to use AE. Kind of a crappy bait and switch, honestly, but it is what it is. I certainly don't read anything into the numbers from various schools, nor does it diminish the accomplishments of those who qualified under whatever method. It was an unusual process in an unusual year; it benefitted some and hurt others.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 10:32     Subject: Re:Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As a former NMSF myself, I can’t figure out for the life of me why anyone cares about this.


I'm also a former NMSF from the 1980s. While these tests measure a certain degree of knowledge, the score is not that indicative of someone's intelligence; rather, the score is more indicative of how well someone takes standardized tests.


Yeah, I was an exceptionally good test-taker, which only gets you so far in life. Hit my academic peak in the 11th grade. But good luck to all these wunderkind!
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 10:27     Subject: Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:This list makes no sense if you compare it to previous years. Sidwell has more finalists than it normally would. St. Albans only one. GDS only one. None for Gonzaga (which typically has 5ish). Nothing for Walls.

My kids don't go to any of these schools, but, I wonder what the deal is. This isn't something I'd be bragging about over at Sidwell. I think this list is really weird and possibly incomplete or manipulated in some way.


Sidewall had 13 last year and 15 this year. Are you implying that these strong results are something g the kids should be proud of because it must have been some kind of weird fluke to increase by, gasp, 2 student semi-finalists, and that that indicates some kind of manipulation. What’s “weird” about that? Like the posters who suggested sone kind of push by Sidwell for students to provide SAT scores, even though that would not have been available as the school had host a psat test last year. Could you possibly simply offer recognition if a job well done by these kids? And I haven’t seen any bragging by Sidwell. But to imply that the kids gain the award through some nefarious process such that they and their parents shouldn’t be proud us simply inappropriate. Kind of like arguing that am election is “rigged”, and implicating the prevailing party, just because some people didn’t get the result they want.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 10:20     Subject: Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Sidwell offered the PSAT on campus, so the kids didn't use the SAT route.


Many did.


How is that possible? If you school offered the PSAT, you were not eligible to use the easier AE.


Same question here: if your school offered PSAT, will you be able to submit SAT as an alternative?


No.


So the PP who said "Many did" is a liar!
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 10:19     Subject: Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Sidwell offered the PSAT on campus, so the kids didn't use the SAT route.


Many did.


How is that possible? If you school offered the PSAT, you were not eligible to use the easier AE.


Same question here: if your school offered PSAT, will you be able to submit SAT as an alternative?


No.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 10:18     Subject: Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Sidwell offered the PSAT on campus, so the kids didn't use the SAT route.


Many did.


How is that possible? If you school offered the PSAT, you were not eligible to use the easier AE.


Same question here: if your school offered PSAT, will you be able to submit SAT as an alternative?
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 09:23     Subject: Re:Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:As a former NMSF myself, I can’t figure out for the life of me why anyone cares about this.


I'm also a former NMSF from the 1980s. While these tests measure a certain degree of knowledge, the score is not that indicative of someone's intelligence; rather, the score is more indicative of how well someone takes standardized tests.
Anonymous
Post 09/16/2021 09:19     Subject: Re:Names of National Merit Semifinalists in DC Released: Sidwell -16. St. Albans - 1
Anonymous wrote:As a former NMSF myself, I can’t figure out for the life of me why anyone cares about this.


Same. It varies from class to class and is not a predictor of college admissions or success later in life. Knowing that a sidwell parent is likely posting this stuff is a complete deterrent from the school, though!