Walton County National Merit Finalists/Semi-Finalists?
- Thread starter Jdarg
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I am sure she is a fine student and a credit to her family. The news release did not say she was a National Merit Finalist or Semifinalist, it says National Merit Scholarship Student. According to their website, this means she was in the top 50,000 nationwide. This is very impressive and she should be congratulated and held up as an example for other students, but it is unfortunately just below requirements for the national merit scholarship semifinalist recognition
Congratulations to this young lady. I'd still like to know how many Walton County seniors won Bright Futures scholarships.
From how long ago? Mine won a 75% Bright Futures in 2003
How about 2013? I would assume that the queen and her court would have this information. She keeps up with FCAT numbers.
This is great news to hear that ONE student in our entire district did so well. Yes, it is impressive, but a National Merit Scholarship "student" is not the same as a semi-finalist or a finalist. It will however, look great on her college applications. If she is actually a semi-finalist, then the school district did a lousy job on the press release. If the school system has had other commended students, who heard about them? Hitting these distinctions is important when universities and colleges look at OUR schools when our kids apply.
I guarantee you there are plenty of kids in this county that should at least get a commended student recognition, and quite a few over the years that should have at least been semi-finalists. Our expectations for excellence from the district level has a very low bar overall. Thank goodness for the individual teachers who are trying to raise it despite it all.
From http://www.nationalmerit.org/nmsp.php
[h=2]Commended Students[/h] In late September, more than two-thirds (about 34,000) of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT[SUP]®[/SUP] receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Commended Students are named on the basis of a nationally applied Selection Index score that may vary from year to year and is typically below the level required for participants to be named Semifinalists in their respective states. Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit[SUP]®[/SUP] Scholarships, some of these students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses. back to top
[h=2]Semifinalists[/h] In early September, about 16,000 students, or approximately one-third of the 50,000 high scorers, are notified that they have qualified as Semifinalists. To ensure that academically talented young people from all parts of the United States are included in this talent pool, Semifinalists are designated on a state-representational basis. They are the highest scoring entrants in each state. NMSC provides scholarship application materials to Semifinalists through their high schools. To be considered for a National Merit[SUP]®[/SUP] Scholarship, Semifinalists must advance to Finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and all other requirements explained in the information provided to each Semifinalist. Click here to learn about requirements for becoming a Finalist in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program. (Adobe Acrobat Reader is required.) back to top
[h=2]Finalists[/h] In February, some 15,000 Semifinalists are notified by mail at their home addresses that they have advanced to Finalist standing. High school principals are notified and provided with a certificate to present to each Finalist. back to top
Jdarg, thank you for posting such a fine explaination of the National Merit Scholarship award process. I have a feeling you may have a personal interest in such procedures. If so, great, if not, again, thank you for such definitive information. On another issue. We should all bear in mind that college is not a suitable career path for every student. There should be alternatives offered in our school systems for those desiring career paths other than professional ones. There is a very good living to be made in the trades area. We are stupid if we do not give such areas their just due.
Yes, I have a big interest in tests that actually measure how our students stack up academically against students from all over the country, not just at the Panhandle or state level. The PSAT, AP, IB, or the Cambridge AICE programs all have tests that will show if my kid has achieved at the level of the kid at a New York prep school, or a big city magnet school, or a strong charter school. They all take the same tests. These are also the tests and programs that truly matter for scholarship money, and Bright Futures is a nice icing on the cake, but it maxes out now at $1500 per semester (and that doesn't go very far, trust me, my kid had the top level award). The young lady from Walton will have many more college and acceptance opportunities from her good score on that PSAT, coupled with AP and good grades. This is why I wish there was much more emphasis on the PSAT- it really gets the ball rolling for a lot of kids.
To be fair, the district high schools all have some vocation and tech offerings, and they have increased in the availability and quality in the last several years.
