<p>Just published about an hour ago, in fact. The FAQ says letters are being sent today.</p>
<p>Click the 2012 Candidates pdf: U.S</a>. Presidential Scholars Program</p>
<p>Congrats to those who qualified!</p>
<p>I am writing for my daughter who is a Junior. She has very good SAT scores. Since she is a junior, she has to wait until next year to see if she is eligible for the Presidential Scholar Program.
My question is how do we know if her SAT scores are sent to the Presidential Scholar Program for next year? She called the College Board (SAT) and they didn’t even understand my question. The college board person told her that she had to request to send her scores to the program and pay $10. There is no option for the US Presidential Scholar Program.
I called the Presidential Scholar Program and they couldn’t tell me either (how they got SAT scores for all the student). Is there an option in the SAT registration to check that the scores be sent to outside entity?
The Presidential Scholar Program FAQ says that the student has to request that The College Board or ACT release their scores to outside entities. Not sure what this means.
Thanks.</p>
<p>@Anxious345 My daughter took the SAT in December of her junior year and is on the list for this year. It worked just the way it was supposed to. We didn’t send anything anywhere. I assume they look at all (or at least the last couple of years) of the scores for all high school seniors to compile the list. No need to send anything in or do anything proactive at all. Hope that helps. :)</p>
<p>travismarie – thanks so much for posting the list. My daughter qualified!</p>
<p>Do they email candidates with more information regarding how to log in online, etc?</p>
<p>batfan, I’m assuming all of the relevant info will be in the letters that were mailed yesterday.</p>
<p>Thanks - I missed that info on the site.</p>
<p>@anxious345: </p>
<p>You wrote: I called the Presidential Scholar Program and they couldn’t tell me either (how they got SAT scores for all the student).</p>
<p>This should be your first clue to give careful consideration before encouraging your child in pursuing selection through this program. The U.S. Presidential Scholar Program itself cant tell you how they get scores for nominees??? Hello??? What does that tell you?</p>
<p>My daughter was a Presidential Scholar last year (2011) and attended the recognition weekend in D.C. last summer. It was not a positive experience for her in any way and heres why:</p>
<p>1) The Scholar program material your son or daughter will receive if selected to be a 2012 Scholar will make a big deal about what an honor this is and how each years Scholars represent the best of students in terms of academic performance, personal character, etc. The material will also make a big deal about how the program exists to honor the Scholars. You need to know that 20 of the Scholars will be Scholars in the performing arts. They are apparently held to no academic standard. (My daughters roommate was an arts scholar and bragged that she had an ACT of 20.) The performing arts scholars are selected through a program of competition sponsored by the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts (not the U.S. Presidential Scholars program) called YoungArts and are subject to the YoungArts program standards for selection which apparently include no standards for personal character. </p>
<p>My daughters roommate was extremely crude on a continuing basis throughout the weekend. Obviously, she did not become crude overnight. This aspect of her character was overlooked or was considered a non-issue throughout the nomination and selection process for arts scholars. In addition, one of her works of art, on display in the Smithsonian and from which she read to assembled Scholars and their families, included a word that would not be acceptable to most of the general public if it were spoken by a news anchor on air or if it were spoken by the President of the United States in a public speech. So .my first word of advice to you is that although the Scholar program paints their selection process and selected Scholars in glowing terms we did not find that to be the case.</p>
<p>2) We were seriously disappointed with how the Scholar program leadership handled this miserable situation my daughter experienced with her roommate. Program material makes a big deal about gracious, civil, considerate personal conduct as a requirement for the recognition weekend. The leadership in charge during the weekend did not hold my daughters roommate to their own stated conduct policy. Rather, they left it up to my daughter to enforce their standards upon her roommate and to suffer the consequences. Fearing anger and revenge on the part of her roommate my daughter chose not to put herself in the position of enforcer and consequently was left to suffer her roommates verbal sewage. So my second word of advice is that program staff may not have your son or daughters best interests at heart although they claim so.</p>
<p>3) The arts scholars present a program of their works at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the other scholars, their families and the public during recognition weekend. One such work included at least years program included the use of an expletive (which, again, would not make it through an evening newscast or through a public speech by the President of the United States). The audience itself, by its response, indicated that such was not appropriate. The use of such language could not have been unexpected as the arts scholars practiced their program all week. So my third word of advice is that the Scholar program itself has in the past encouraged generally socially unacceptable public behavior in our young people.</p>
<p>4) You mentioned that the Scholars Program could not tell you how they get ACT/SAT scores. Our experience was that neither could they produce an accurate list of selected scholars names, hometowns, states and email addresses to be shared among the scholars at least not in the first mailed copy. The first copy was completely messed up. This should have been a tip-off to us that this is not a stellar program.</p>
<p>5) Last year parents/family of Scholars were told we would not be able to attend The Medallion Ceremony. When we arrived in D.C. we were told one family member could attend. I could not leave my minor child alone in order to attend the ceremony and ended up giving my place to my daughters nominated teacher. Had I known that one family member could have attended, I would not have brought my minor daughter along. I spent quite a lot of money to accompany my daughter to the recognition weekend and someone else went to the medallion ceremony. Does that make any sense?</p>
<p>6) As it turned out, the 2011 Scholars received their U.S. Presidential Scholars medallions on their busses. Yes! They were simply handed out on the bus! The ceremony did not take place at the White House but in an auditorium near the White House. It was a fake ceremony as the Scholars had already received their medallions on their busses. The ceremony consisted of the Scholars walking across the stage wearing their medallions and shaking hands with the Secretary of Education and someone else. Granted, the program material makes no promise that the President of the U.S. will present the medallions but it does suggest that if he is not available the presenter will be someone of more interest than the Secretary of Education such as the V.P. or the First Lady and it suggests that the ceremony will take place at the White House. (The Scholars were given the opportunity to take a self-guided tour of the White House on the last morning of the recognition event. Thats the only thing that took place at the White House.) So .think about whether such a shoddy presentation will be an issue for you and your son or daughter.</p>
<p>7) The Scholars take part in a volunteer event during the weekend. In the case of last years event, it was way over-staffed with Scholars vs. recipients and poorly organized. </p>
<p>8) Keep in mind:
the costs for your son or daughters nominated teacher to attend the recognition weekend are not paid for by the
Scholar program. They or their school will have to fund their trip.
the hotel that serves as the info and transportation hub for teachers and family is very expensive, has a very nice lobby but very shabby and dirty rooms (which was an embarrassment to me in light of some health concerns my daughters nominated teacher had) and other than a small,
in-hotel gift shop and bar has no convenient food sources open during the weekend. You dont have to stay at that particular hotel but you will be out of the loop if you dont.
being named a Scholar will not result in any scholarship money for your son or daughter but will actually cost you
money if you and other family decide to accompany your Scholar.
Scholars are named too late to effect any college admission and scholarship consideration for the coming academic year.</p>
<p>My daughter returned home completely discouraged about the state of public education in this country. She has packed her medallion away with a note on it to never open the box. Had I known all of this, I would have never encouraged my daughter to complete the very lengthy nomination material and we would have never made the trip to D.C .a sad commentary on the program and the U.S. Department of Education. I know I sound bitter (I am) and you can dismiss my comments as a case of sour grapes. Im just trying to warn you the program may not be the honor you or your son or daughter are expecting.</p>
<p>My daughter took her SAT in sophomore year, and she was automatically selected as a candidate for the U.S. Presidential Scholars. According to the FAQs on the Dept of Ed website, the College Board forwards info on all college seniors who meet the SAT or ACT criteria as well as have high enough grades per their self-reporting when they registered to take their standardized tests. So, you don’t have to worry that your child would be included if they took the test early. Also, the Dept of Ed does have a process where you can nominate your child even if they were omitted from the candidate list. This happens when a non-US citizen obtains citizenship while they are in high school, or when the self-reported grades were not accurate or other situations like that.</p>
<p>@Anxious345,</p>
<p>When I asked the program, they said they purchase scores directly from ACT and the College Board, so unless you checked a box saying not to share your testing information, your scores will automatically be sent to the US Presidential Scholars program. If you have a high enough score (usually perfect or near-perfect), you can call them and ask about it if you were omitted, at which time they can add you if you qualify. I didn’t send my scores anywhere or anything and made it on the list.</p>
<p>What are the criteria to be chosen as a semifinalist, and then an actual scholar?</p>
<p>I know SAT/ACT scores are used to choose the candidates. But what afterwards? Are the 2 scholars chosen from each state the students with the highest SAT/ACT scores?</p>
<p>Despite whatever newtron is rambling about, this scholarship is actually quite prestigious, sponsored by the federal government and not some random for-profit organization (ie. "who’s who), and also very selective (only 2 per state). So you should probably not use a stranger’s vague experiences of having an unpleasant roommate and a supposedly subpar hotel room to discredit a very reputable scholarship program. Just my 2 cents. But if you’re going to be disappointed that obama himself isnt going to invite you into the white house for a gala event, then by all means, dont apply.</p>
<p>In regards to Newtron’s numbers 1, 2, and 3, I’m so very sorry that a girl used <em>gasp</em> BAD WORDS in ART! I mean, art is supposed to conform to the rules of society, am I right? Rules aren’t allowed to be broken in the name of artistic expression! Just ask Picasso and Mahler; societal norms are the absolute boundaries of art.</p>
<p>Overall, this sounds like a very good and prestigious experience marred by a few inconveniences.</p>
<p>hkobb, dont forget that her daughter was eternally traumatized by one night of enduring her roommate’s “crudeness”!!! Crudeness which the selection committee wasn’t even able to identify through a paper application! Horror of horrors!!</p>
<p>Ugh. Lame parents and probably even lamer kids. <em>rolls eyes</em></p>
<p>To Anxious345, my daughter just received a letter this Saturday indicating that she is a candidate. She never did anything proactive, just took the ACT and SAT. We were not even aware of this program until she got the letter so I would think the people in charge screen the candidates based on the results of the ACT/SAT provided for the by the College Board in pretty much the same way National Merit candidates are selected.</p>
<p>sunshine02 – the candidates made the initial cut solely on the basis of high test scores. There is a rather extensive application involving essays, recommendations etc. that must be submitted by the deadline for candidates to receive future consideration.</p>
<p>Click on travismarie’s link in the initial post and click on the FAQ section in the blue header box at the top for more information. Under “I wish to complete and submit the application in hard copy” there is a link to “download and print the forms online”.</p>
<p>Does anyone know whether there is any financial reward involved? The application seems like a lot of work if all we get is a medal…</p>
<p>You guys…I’ve logged in and can’t seem to find the essays and stuff. It only has my Signature and Control Forms…
Someone want to help me out? Do I need to finish these forms first before I get to the actual app?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Find a link titled something along the lines of “I want to download the forms and mail in a hard copy of my application.” There, you’ll find PDF versions of all the forms, including the essay prompts.</p>
<p>The SAT qualifying score in GA is a 1580 and for the ACT the combined (add all individual scores) score must be a 141.</p>
<p>Good luck!!!</p>