Please, please stop saying "You can always go to [X] for grad school"

[coolweather]

<p>

• 16,178 other participants, the highest-scoring entrants
in each state, were designated Semifinalists
and had the opportunity to continue in the
competition for National Merit Scholarships by fulfilling
several additional requirements.
• 15,110 of the Semifinalists were notified in February
2012 that they met academic and other requirements
to attain Finalist standing and were being considered
for Merit Scholarship® awards.
• 8,064 Merit Scholar® designees, chosen from the
Finalist group, received Merit Scholarship awards
worth a total of $35.1 million.

</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nationalmerit.org/annual_report.pdf[/url]”>http://www.nationalmerit.org/annual_report.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Simple math:</p>

<p>16,178 - 8,064 = 8114 students are not Merit Scholar designees.</p>

<p>These 8114 students could not go to the colleges that sponsor the program.
So, guess where they went to?</p>