<p>kentucky: lol whoops :D and you're right--that's incredible, though</p>
<p>anonymous: the 1600 thing isn't a requirement, per se, but it does happen to be the cutoff for states like CA and NY</p>
<p>Do you have to be invited to apply for this? How does one find out what the cutoff for each state is?</p>
<p>Will we semi-finalists receive some kind of certificate? In my school nobody even knows about my participation in the Presidential Scholar program while other less significant (in my opinion) awards (like National Merit commendations) are loudly announced.</p>
<p>cutoff = requirement.</p>
<p>its the "requirement" in NJ too.</p>
<p>
[quote]
The 1600 requirement really destroys the Presidential Scholarship's credibility in my eyes for choosing the BEST scholars.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>An0nym0u5: I agree that test scores are not the best determining factor for scholarship, but in any situation where you're trying to narrow down a large population to something ridiculously small, objective measures have to be used or you'd never get through the applications. Taking the top 20 SAT/ACT scores per state provides a way to limit the number of applications to a group that meets at least one standard of scholarship. What other initial screening could they use, provided they only have the resources to read detailed applications from that many people?</p>
<p>Presidential Scholars aren't necessarily the BEST scholars by every measure (and frankly, I doubt there's a whole lot of quantifiable difference between the semi-finalists), but they are a deserving group of students for recognition.</p>
<p>conwoman: I agree completely. PSP has not been publicized as strongly as it should be, I think. PSP Semi-finalist status is superior to National Merit semi-finalist status, but I suppose the loud announcements follow the money...</p>
<p>abcd: you're completely right, on all counts. </p>
<p>really, what other quick way would there be to narrow down 3 million graduating high school seniors?</p>
<p>hey.. just wondering.. do we get to meet the president?</p>
<p>I don't think that you do meet the president. However, you do meet some representatives.</p>
<p>Sometimes, you do meet the president but not always. If you do meet the president, then he usually gives a speech.</p>
<p>pshhhh, that's great... you have to be a u.s. citizen to be invited. gahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.</p>
<p>conwoman: I agree about the PSP. My daughter was a semi-finalist as well--and the only female in her school of 500+ graduating seniors to even be nominated, but that recognition has been ignored. And certainly in comparison to all the flurry that surrounds NM, it is odd. I can only assume it's because there's no money attached(?), or more people make NMF, and so it just gets more coverage. Seems a shame, though. To make semi-finalist, and obviously to be named a PS, is certainly much more difficult and more prestigious (in my opinion).</p>
<p>yeah, (i think) theres a good chance that presidential scholars'll get to shake hands with the president at the medallion ceremony</p>
<p>jack, i agree completely. i was the only semifinalist and scholar ever from my school....and ppl are just slowly waking up to it. but yeah, PSP needs to do some major advertising work</p>
<p>little john - not necessarily...last year the president was at a fundraiser the night of the award ceremony and the Secretary of Education Rod Paige did the honors. They did get a picture with Laura Bush at the White House, but she didn't shake all of their hands, just posed for a picture which each scholar got in the mail after...However, I did hear that the President was at the ceremony for the Presidential Atheletes.
I know that most presidents have done it before though...so I guess it just depends on their schedule. Personally I think if at all possible they should...However, the experience was amazing overall and the medal is awesome (and heavy!). USA Today put pictures of all the scholars in the paper last year...it took up an entire page. Hopefully this year the scholars will get the recognition they deserve as well :)</p>
<p>Would they include the writing section for 2007? If not, I have no chance.</p>
<p>Wow, I didn't realize the Presidential Scholar award had that much cool stuff attached to it.</p>
<p>I saw all the essays on the application and decided I didn't have time if I wasn't going to get money for it...but now it sounds pretty sweet.</p>
<p>Oh well. The odds would have been ridiculous anyway.</p>
<p>Regardless, this program needs a serious PR boost- I thought they were just going to give the winners a medal and that was that.</p>
<p>part of me agrees with you, achil -- spread the word about PSP etc. etc.</p>
<p>but another part says...they're secret, they're exclusive, they shouldn't need PR boosts to be cool...the fact that it's coming from the department of education means something</p>
<p>now, if there's some specific area of the letter and application or whatever that you think needs changing, so that it's more clear that "this is a trip to washington, white house, bush"...then PM me some suggestions :)</p>