Thanks @LMHS73 . Came here to see what’s up with that program since DP Jr mentioned he got an email about it today. We have “form fatigue” so not sure proceeding is worth the effort. Will have to take a look.
@suzy100, traditionally, candidates were initially selected solely on ACT or SAT scores. Then they receive a package to fill-out with all the standard requirements we’re all too used to now - submitting an essay and completing some other shorter essay-type prompts, listing activities, awards, community service, work history, and all of that. That’s what I recall from when S15 went through the process.
After the student submissions are rated, a smaller percentage of kids make it to semifinalist & finally 2 kids (1 boy & 1 girl) from each state (and maybe territory?) get a trip to Wash D.C. to be recognized.
I was reading something today that said the program wants to make the candidate pool more diverse, so X number of kids (that don’t meet the test score criteria, but stand out in other ways) can now be nominated using other criteria like obstacles overcome, 1st generation student, single parent household, etc. I don’t know much more about it other than that bit of information I read somewhere on the website after clicking around a bit.
@DavidPuddy; ha, ha, (form fatigue) I know exactly how you feel & we’re most definitely experiencing that feeling in our household as well.
I never heard of or heard anything about the Presidential Scholars Program so I guess D18 was never in the running 
Presidential Scholars is for perfect ACT or SAT, correct? At least as initial screen or something? I recall it is an insanely tiny percentile of graduating seniors who receive it. Congrats to your D @LMHS73. Amazing achievement!
Congratulations @LMHS73! Great accomplishment for your daughter!
@LOUKYDAD I googled it and saw that initial screening is based on SAT/ACT, but it doesn’t have to be a perfect score, just very high.
Thanks for the info, @LMHS73. I do know that one of the kids on that list is D’s good friend who had a perfect ACT score. Only 2 kids from each state? Wowzers. Good luck to your D and @DavidPuddy’s S, if you guys decide to pursue this.
In simple terms, that is pretty much it. Note a “36 composite ACT” is not nec “perfect” but I am sure that is how DP Jr made the initial cut. With no ECs or amazing achievements to speak of, I am not sure 16 hours more of essays and applications is worth it.
The top 10 boys and 10 girls in each state are selected automatically. Not sure if it is 10 for SAT and 10 for ACT (so 20 boys, 20 girls). (I can ask DD when she gets hone) Then the states can nominate kids. Also, if there is a tie for the 10th spot everyone gets it.
The letter said 4,500 were selected this year out of 3.6+ million test takers. So, even getting nominated is a huge honor.
There look to be a lot more than 20 kids for each state, so I guess there were a lot of ties. Congrats to your kiddos that made the cut! I had never heard of it until now, so no feelings of loss that S18 didn’t make it.
I just counted around 95 kids for my state. FWIW, I know one of the kids got a 35.
Congratulations to all of the Presidential Scholars! I had never heard of this until tonight. Please tell me the envelope was not a cream-colored, regular letter sized notification. :-SS I can’t even remember if that’s what it looked like but we received something like this a while back and I tossed it into the recycling assuming it was spam. D had a 35 and not a 36, so I doubt it but I’m slightly troubled hearing that some 35s made it and I think I threw it out. [-( Mother of the year!
Two of D’s good friends are on the list. I know one has a 36 ACT, and the other has a 35. @Kayak24 Is your D’s name on the list online? https://www2.ed.gov/programs/psp/2018/candidates.pdf
Thanks for the info, never heard of Presidential Scholars, but son is on the list. He has not received any notification about it. Hmmm…
@ShrimpBurrito , no…and that makes a lot more sense. Our state has strong scores. All I want to know is that I didn’t throw something out by mistake so thank you! 
@Kayak24 we recieved notification by email today. They said mail would be coming soon.
There are 95 in our state too. I know 5-6 of the kids on the list. They were all in the gifted program with DD. Two I know got a perfect score on the ACT, as in 36 in every section.
I don’t see my son’s name on the list. He earned a 36 on the ACT (36, 36, 35). We’re in California so maybe there were more students with perfect scores? I had never heard of the program before today either.
@jackbelchos your school had to nominate your son. Your school might not have known about it, or maybe they nominated someone else. I think that each school can only nominate 1 girl and 1 boy, but not positive on that.