national announcement… =]

[Mercuria]

as some of you may have noticed (and others have definitely noticed…), i received some news last week that i could not share until today… and now the news has lost its impact for me… so i apologise if it seems like i'm making an announcement about something i don't care that much about… to me, it's already old news.

i made the cut for national merit semifinalist =] my counselor sent an office pass to me on the second day of school (last wednesday), and it said "now please -- important" in the time blank. i thought it was bad news, like she would have to tell me that my entire family was killed in a car accident on the way to school/work, or that i was a suspect for something that happened, or something like that… but, as it turns out, it was this. that was why i was so wired that day. the other half of "somewhere between manic and enraged" was 'cause i got cut off in traffic on the way home (well, a car drove into my lane and almost hit me, and they didn't even notice… i think i was more scared than mad, but my heart was beating fast enough as it was…).

[daniel801]

Congratulations, that's a great honor.

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anger is a gift

[Coyote]

Yaaaay Mercuria!!!
Are you really as calm about this as you think you are??

Congratulations!

Happy happy joy joy!

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Happy happy joy joy!

[Courk]

I'm sure once I'm older I'll understand these more and then I'll fully share your joy, but I am happy for you. Only something like 1/10 of people make it or something, right? (Probably way off, but who cares)

CONGRADULATIONS!!

[Quailman]

Actually, I think it's way less than 10%.

CONGRATULATIONS, MERC!

[Tom]

Erm .. what does this mean? What "national merit"?

[Courk]

I'll attempt to explain, but don't quote me until someone comes and corrects me on all points.

The National Merit Semifinalists are people who scored on high on the SATs. Less than 10% of the test takers get this.

Correct away.

[Mercuria]

thanks everybody =]

coyote: yes, i'm actually this calm. i was told last wednesday, and now it's kinda like old news to me now (and partially because i think that this is as far as i'm going to get…)

courk: that's pretty much right… 'cept it's not from taking SATs, but PSATs… (close enough, right? =])

uh, maybe i should explain this process a little… this position (semifinalist) is from the selection index (the scores for verbal+math+writing); mine was 220. the cutoff was 118, and it's out of 240 (i'm kinda low in the group ;-> ). i don't know what the percentiles actually are, but, according to the score sheet i got when i got my scores, i'm in the 99th percentile. i got 112 my sophomore year, and that was in the 98th percentile. finalist positions are determined by college-admission-style applications… forms, essays, recommendations… the whole bit…

basically, i just got lucky on a test, and now i don't have to pay the application fee for umcp (university of maryland, college park). =] i don't think cornell does that, though… (i'm only applying to those two colleges… i know, i know…)

as for what percent get to be finalists… i don't know. besides, i don't know how relevant that information would be. it's probably less than one percent of the people that take the test (if the percentiles are true), but most of the people who take the test are not eligible (wrong graduating class and things like that).

[firemeboy]

The Minotaur can put that in his marketing section.

'The GL is visited by a bunch of smart people, including a National Merit Finalist.'

Congrats Merc. That is quite an accomplishment.

Fire

[Tom]

I'm starting to feel a bit of an idiot here .. what's an SAT (Serbian Attack Trout?) or a PSAT (Pink Serbian Attack Trout? Volkswagon?)?

I'm guessing you did well on some sort of test for colleges .. well done .

[Quailman]

{Preliminary} Scholastic Aptitude Test. It as a standard test, the scores of which are used by most American scools as one measure of an applicant's potential for success if admitted. The PSAT is administered earlier in a student's career. It's purpose is to guage that person's potential for succes on the SAT.

[Courk]

Is that right? That just seems...redundant. In a way, wouldn't the PSATs be able to guage your potential for success?

[Mercuria]

well, it's used more as a "practice" SAT because colleges look at your SAT scores when you apply. it's also known as the NMSQT (national merit scholarship qualifying test). i think you can figure out where that comes from ;->

the main reason for taking the test, as far as i can tell (maybe this is just in my school, i don't know), is to practice for your SATs... so you don't get SAT scores from your freshman year on your SAT transcript...

[Calfaile]

Congrats! I took the Psat for many years in High school but didn't qualify for any scholarships since i was canadian . I never *could* figure out what that NMSQT stood for. . . . I guess you learn something new everyday! (esp. in the GL!)

congrats again!

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"Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam."

[dethwing]

I just recently took the SAT and got a 1310, but im going back to try again for a higher math score.

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It would be impossible to discuss the subject without a common point of reference