Anonymous wrote:Copying from the Private School Forum:

Whittle 1/20 5%
Sidwell: 5/125 4%
Walls: 6/150 4%
SAAS: 2/50 4%
STA: 3/80 3.75%
GDS: 4/125 3.2%
NCS: 2/80 2.5%
Basis DC: 1/50 2%
Gonzaga: 3/225 1.3%
WIS: 1/80 1.3%
Maret: 1/125 0.8%
JR/Wilson: 1/375 0.2%

Numbers are wrong.

Anonymous wrote:Copying from the Private School Forum:

Whittle 1/20 5%
Sidwell: 5/125 4%
Walls: 6/150 4%
SAAS: 2/50 4%
STA: 3/80 3.75%
GDS: 4/125 3.2%
NCS: 2/80 2.5%
Basis DC: 1/50 2%
Gonzaga: 3/225 1.3%
WIS: 1/80 1.3%
Maret: 1/125 0.8%
JR/Wilson: 1/375 0.2%

Wrong data.

Anonymous wrote:Just remember that nearly all the NMSF slots in DC get gobbled up by private school kids.

The awards are allocated by "state" and are based on where a kid attends school, not their home. Because of that, DC has the highest cutoff score in the country just about every year and so any public school kid that makes it on the list is really punching above their weight.

Actually, since DC is not set by the quota like states are, the cut score used for DC may actually be lower than if the quota were used. If it were set by quota, only the 16 top-scoring kids would be included, which likely would make the cut score even higher (and there is absolutely no reason to think public school students wouldn't be among them). As it is, 30-40 kids make it based on the highest state cut. So unless all 30 or so of them had the same score, it seems that using the highest state score includes more DC kids. Any DC student who meets the cut score of the highest state is included. DC students aren't competing against each other to make the cut, they are all vying with the New Jersey and Massachusetts kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just remember that nearly all the NMSF slots in DC get gobbled up by private school kids.

The awards are allocated by "state" and are based on where a kid attends school, not their home. Because of that, DC has the highest cutoff score in the country just about every year and so any public school kid that makes it on the list is really punching above their weight.

They are not "allocated" and it's not a zero-sum game. If, say, Wilson JR kids exceeded the cut-off for DC, then they get the nod no matter how many hit this benchmark. Sidwell isn't taking anything from an attendee of McKinley Tech

Wrong. A certain percentage of test takers are designated NM Semifinalists. There's a quota. That's how the PSAT requirement is set.

You are completely wrong about this. DC and U.S. students abroad are automatically assigned the highest cut score achieved by any state (which always ends up being MA and NJ).

You're definitely wrong.
Also, the number of NMSFs assigned to a state is determined by the number of graduating seniors. Yes, there is a quota.

DP

DP. My understanding:

There is a quota for the states based on the number of graduating seniors, which results in different cutoffs.

The states with the highest cutoff frequently but not always are MA or NJ.

DC is not a state but its cutoff is fixed by the NMSF at the highest cutoff for a state, and not because DC students perform at the same level as the state with the highest cutoff.

No, the number of graduating seniors does not dictate the cut-off.
Historically the highest cut-off states are MA, NJ and MD (reason why some people believe for a long time that DC was lumped with MD because MD used to always almost has the highest cut-off)

It's odd that people deemphasize SATs but emphasize being a National Merit Semifinalist.

All being a semifinalist means is that you did well on a pretend, practice SAT. It's not very meaningful and doesnt get you much (I was a semifinalist a long time ago).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just remember that nearly all the NMSF slots in DC get gobbled up by private school kids.

The awards are allocated by "state" and are based on where a kid attends school, not their home. Because of that, DC has the highest cutoff score in the country just about every year and so any public school kid that makes it on the list is really punching above their weight.

They are not "allocated" and it's not a zero-sum game. If, say, Wilson JR kids exceeded the cut-off for DC, then they get the nod no matter how many hit this benchmark. Sidwell isn't taking anything from an attendee of McKinley Tech

Wrong. A certain percentage of test takers are designated NM Semifinalists. There's a quota. That's how the PSAT requirement is set.

You are completely wrong about this. DC and U.S. students abroad are automatically assigned the highest cut score achieved by any state (which always ends up being MA and NJ).

You're definitely wrong.
Also, the number of NMSFs assigned to a state is determined by the number of graduating seniors. Yes, there is a quota.

DP

Each state is allocated a percentage of the roughly 16,000 Semifinalists based on the percentage of that state's graduating seniors out of the nation's total, (e.g. California gets ~17% of all finalists because California has roughly 17% of all high school graduates). In 2021 there were 3,415,830 high school graduates in the U.S. DC's 72 public and private high schools graduated somewhere around 4000 students (2063 DCPS, ~1000 PCS, ~1000 Private = ~4063), so DC's percentage of that: .001 or 16 NMSF.

DC's actual number of NMSF was 30. Last year is was 36. 202o was 39. Always at least double what the quota would have been. And every year, DC's cut score is that same as the highest state. Always.

From Compass Prep, the NMSF guru: "New Jersey set the standard this year with a 223 cutoff. The cutoffs for the District of Columbia and U.S. Students Studying Abroad are set at the highest state mark, so they are also at 223. All of the figures below are confirmed and final." https://www.compassprep.com/national-merit-semifinalist-cutoffs/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow the private school forum used to be the place to go to for snark and nastiness but you DCPS parents have got them beat now. Congrats. I bet your kids are super proud of you. Now…which school has the worst parent cohort? Shall we start the count and give out Nastiest Moms and Snarkiest Fathers awards?

You must be new here! Never underestimate the willingness and ability of those with limited resources to attack each other to make themselves feel better.

Fixed this for you:

Never underestimate the willingness and ability of people to attack each other to make themselves feel better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just remember that nearly all the NMSF slots in DC get gobbled up by private school kids.

The awards are allocated by "state" and are based on where a kid attends school, not their home. Because of that, DC has the highest cutoff score in the country just about every year and so any public school kid that makes it on the list is really punching above their weight.

They are not "allocated" and it's not a zero-sum game. If, say, Wilson JR kids exceeded the cut-off for DC, then they get the nod no matter how many hit this benchmark. Sidwell isn't taking anything from an attendee of McKinley Tech

Wrong. A certain percentage of test takers are designated NM Semifinalists. There's a quota. That's how the PSAT requirement is set.

You are completely wrong about this. DC and U.S. students abroad are automatically assigned the highest cut score achieved by any state (which always ends up being MA and NJ).

You're definitely wrong.
Also, the number of NMSFs assigned to a state is determined by the number of graduating seniors. Yes, there is a quota.

DP

DP. My understanding:

There is a quota for the states based on the number of graduating seniors, which results in different cutoffs.

The states with the highest cutoff frequently but not always are MA or NJ.

DC is not a state but its cutoff is fixed by the NMSF at the highest cutoff for a state, and not because DC students perform at the same level as the state with the highest cutoff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just remember that nearly all the NMSF slots in DC get gobbled up by private school kids.

The awards are allocated by "state" and are based on where a kid attends school, not their home. Because of that, DC has the highest cutoff score in the country just about every year and so any public school kid that makes it on the list is really punching above their weight.

They are not "allocated" and it's not a zero-sum game. If, say, Wilson JR kids exceeded the cut-off for DC, then they get the nod no matter how many hit this benchmark. Sidwell isn't taking anything from an attendee of McKinley Tech

Wrong. A certain percentage of test takers are designated NM Semifinalists. There's a quota. That's how the PSAT requirement is set.

You are completely wrong about this. DC and U.S. students abroad are automatically assigned the highest cut score achieved by any state (which always ends up being MA and NJ).

You're definitely wrong.
Also, the number of NMSFs assigned to a state is determined by the number of graduating seniors. Yes, there is a quota.

DP

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Copying from the Private School Forum:

Whittle 1/20 5%
Sidwell: 5/125 4%
Walls: 6/150 4%
SAAS: 2/50 4%
STA: 3/80 3.75%
GDS: 4/125 3.2%
NCS: 2/80 2.5%
Basis DC: 1/50 2%
Gonzaga: 3/225 1.3%
WIS: 1/80 1.3%
Maret: 1/125 0.8%
JR/Wilson: 1/375 0.2%

I wonder where PP is getting the denominator. Maret has 80 kids per grade for example. JR is more than 375.

Most of the denominators are wrong. My guess is it was posted by the Whittle kid's parent?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just remember that nearly all the NMSF slots in DC get gobbled up by private school kids.

The awards are allocated by "state" and are based on where a kid attends school, not their home. Because of that, DC has the highest cutoff score in the country just about every year and so any public school kid that makes it on the list is really punching above their weight.

They are not "allocated" and it's not a zero-sum game. If, say, Wilson JR kids exceeded the cut-off for DC, then they get the nod no matter how many hit this benchmark. Sidwell isn't taking anything from an attendee of McKinley Tech

Wrong. A certain percentage of test takers are designated NM Semifinalists. There's a quota. That's how the PSAT requirement is set.

You are completely wrong about this. DC and U.S. students abroad are automatically assigned the highest cut score achieved by any state (which always ends up being MA and NJ).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Copying from the Private School Forum:

Whittle 1/20 5%
Sidwell: 5/125 4%
Walls: 6/150 4%
SAAS: 2/50 4%
STA: 3/80 3.75%
GDS: 4/125 3.2%
NCS: 2/80 2.5%
Basis DC: 1/50 2%
Gonzaga: 3/225 1.3%
WIS: 1/80 1.3%
Maret: 1/125 0.8%
JR/Wilson: 1/375 0.2%

I wonder where PP is getting the denominator. Maret has 80 kids per grade for example. JR is more than 375.

And SAAS has 33 in that class, not 50.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just remember that nearly all the NMSF slots in DC get gobbled up by private school kids.

The awards are allocated by "state" and are based on where a kid attends school, not their home. Because of that, DC has the highest cutoff score in the country just about every year and so any public school kid that makes it on the list is really punching above their weight.

They are not "allocated" and it's not a zero-sum game. If, say, Wilson JR kids exceeded the cut-off for DC, then they get the nod no matter how many hit this benchmark. Sidwell isn't taking anything from an attendee of McKinley Tech

Wrong. A certain percentage of test takers are designated NM Semifinalists. There's a quota. That's how the PSAT requirement is set.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Copying from the Private School Forum:

Whittle 1/20 5%
Sidwell: 5/125 4%
Walls: 6/150 4%
SAAS: 2/50 4%
STA: 3/80 3.75%
GDS: 4/125 3.2%
NCS: 2/80 2.5%
Basis DC: 1/50 2%
Gonzaga: 3/225 1.3%
WIS: 1/80 1.3%
Maret: 1/125 0.8%
JR/Wilson: 1/375 0.2%

I wonder where PP is getting the denominator. Maret has 80 kids per grade for example. JR is more than 375.

And I think Basis is more like 30-35?

Anonymous wrote:Copying from the Private School Forum:

Whittle 1/20 5%
Sidwell: 5/125 4%
Walls: 6/150 4%
SAAS: 2/50 4%
STA: 3/80 3.75%
GDS: 4/125 3.2%
NCS: 2/80 2.5%
Basis DC: 1/50 2%
Gonzaga: 3/225 1.3%
WIS: 1/80 1.3%
Maret: 1/125 0.8%
JR/Wilson: 1/375 0.2%

I wonder where PP is getting the denominator. Maret has 80 kids per grade for example. JR is more than 375.