<p>I recently decided to attend my state governor’s academy in lieu of accepting an NFL Districts slot in DX (might still go in PuF) because the academy dates conflict with NFL Nats in June.</p>
<p>The scholars academy selection process was incredibly competitive - I go to a competitive suburban school; only 9 were chosen based on PLAN scores/GPA, then top 2 selected based on essays. Ie, my fellow scholar-selectee took Calc BC in 8th grade, another scored a 36 on the ACT as a sophomore, most are advanced in math, and another is our sophomore editor on a senior-driven newspaper staff.</p>
<p>On the subject of Nats, I’ve been told by my captain and coach that I had a good shot at qualifying. I’ll still attend state-sponsored districts in PuF/Extemp and maybe NCFL Nats, but NFL Nats is something I’ve dreamed about since freshman year (currently a sophomore).</p>
<p>It sounds so obvious when I write it out like that, but I’ll ask anyway…did I make the right decision, in terms of college admissions?</p>
<p>what country are you in?</p>
<p>I reside in the midwestern USA. :)</p>
<p>I suppose everyone is supposed to know what your acronyms mean?</p>
<p>This is not going to make or break your college admission opportunities. You have time to participate in the other activities next year! </p>
<p>DunninLA - NFL refers to [National</a> Forensic League - High School Speech & Debate Honor Society, Speech & Debate Organization](<a href=“http://www.nflonline.org/Main/HomePage]National”>http://www.nflonline.org/Main/HomePage) and PLAN is an exam taken before the ACT.</p>
<p>Neither decision is necessarily “right” or “wrong” (though if you were highly competitive in DX/PF–ie, a serious contender for first at Nats–I might reconsider). Which opportunity would you benefit more from? Attending districts, after all, is not a guarantee of qualifying for Nats. Besides, you’re only a sophomore, with plenty of time to qualify for Nats.</p>
<p>Yeah, you’re right. That’s the process I went through. And I’m definitely not a serious contender for 1st at Nats. I’ll have more chances to go; I guess I was just disappointed that Districts/Nats, which I’ve worked toward all year, now appears unattainable. But I think I’m coming to terms with it; thanks.</p>
<p>@DunninLA: I’m sorry! I’ve grown so familiar with the lingo - NFL, NCFL, PLAN - that I forget others in different regions or involved in different activities may not know them. And I thought people would assume I was in the US (references to AP’s, states, organizations specific to the US, etc) but I guess not.</p>
<p>You’re still a sophomore - you have plenty of time to make it to nats. If you have a good chance of qualifying this year, your chances of qualifying next year are even higher, and you’ll probably go further at nats. You definitely made the right choice - judges are crazy, and even if you had a good chance of qualifying, you could easily get one bad judge and not make it. Can you imagine not qualifying and knowing that you’d given up the governor’s academy to sit at home all week? You can try to qual for nats next year.
I have to ask, though - what is DX? I’m familiar with CX and the other forms of debate, but I’ve never heard of DX.</p>
<p>Oh, DX is Domestic Extemp. Yeah, I guess I was thinking that going to nats might help my chances junior year, but on the other hand, my state tournament/NCFL/potential nat circuit tourneys next year will make up for that. And it sounds like YOU are a fellow debater. 
Crazy judges? Oh, don’t I know it.</p>
<p>Yep - practice is the only way to do it! And I probably speak an average of 3 times a week, so thus far I feel like I’ve been hitting the mark. I guess it’s the accumulated practice that helps, not one tourney (even nats).</p>
<p>Oh boy…I’ve never had THAT bad of a judge. But I’ve def had some screwy ones. And recently, at an out of town tourney, a nat-qualifier/successful nat circuit competitor at our school was ranked 8TH in a room. 8th. It was bizarre.</p>
Around here we only separate domestic and international extemp for nat quals.