Students waited in anticipation for the results to come out. Some knew they were a shoo-in for the title of “National Merit Semifinalist,” while others were anxious about whether their score was high enough. In a matter of seconds, disappointment or joy would appear on students’ faces as they come face to face with the fruits of their labor. However, this year it was different. Rather than hearing it from the North High administration directly, semifinalists heard of their recognition through Reddit, a social news website and forum.
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic scholarship competition managed by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). The accolades rank from National Merit Scholar, National Merit Finalist, National Merit Semifinalist, to National Merit Commended Students. The $2,500 National Merit Scholarships are given based on the student’s position. To be considered for this prestigious scholarship, semifinalists must submit a detailed scholarship application that includes essays and information about their extracurricular achievements; a strong academic record; a recommendation from a school official; and SAT scores that verify their preliminary SAT (PSAT) performance. 15,000 semifinalists are then chosen to be finalists based on the submitted criteria and from these finalists, a select group will receive the scholarship.
The preliminary SAT, also known as the PSAT, is used as the qualifying test for entry into the competition and the Selection Index score for National Merit Semifinalist and National Merit Commended Students vary by state and year. This year, the Selection Index Score for New York applicants was 220, one point higher than last year’s score of 219. To calculate an individual’s selection index score, the math, writing, and reading scores are summed up and then doubled. For example, an individual in New York who scored a 38 on reading, 34 on writing and language, and 38 on math would have a selection index score of 220, and thus qualify for National Merit Semifinalist.
This year, North High had 11 National Merit Semifinalists. All students were pleased with the news; however, there was a general consensus that the manner and time in which the semifinalists were notified of their status was disadvantageous to them in comparison to other winners. The official results were announced on September 6th; however, North High semifinalists found out through leaked results on Reddit on September 18th. This meant North High students were unable to celebrate the news earlier and had comparatively less time than others to fill out their finalist applications.
Nevertheless, senior Adrian Shiu said, “It is one of the awards of all time because it will pay for a quarter of my classes for one year of college.”
Despite minor upsets, the National Merit Scholarship continues to be an award North High students pine for not only because of monetary gain but also because of its prestige.
Senior Melvin Thu said, “I think it’s cool to share this award with thousands of high school students around the world.”
In the coming days, current North High juniors will be taking the first-ever digital PSAT. This change was made along with the digitization of the SAT where starting in spring 2024, all students will now also take the full SAT online.
Many students are uneasy about this new change. Stylistically, the digital PSAT is shorter and also has fewer questions than the paper PSAT.
Junior Ashley Liu said, “I took a digital PSAT and I don’t feel very confident just because the digital format is unfamiliar.”
However, the criteria for qualification remain the same with the Selection Index Score varying based on this upcoming year’s performance. Current National Merit Semifinalists also hope to ease the juniors’ anxieties by offering advice.
Senior Sue Zhang said “You don’t need any special classes and don’t need any special shortcuts. Just find old PSATs and do them repeatedly under the correct timed conditions. The PSAT’s questions aren’t difficult, it’s all about whether or not you can do it under a certain amount of time.”
“I would advise everyone, freshmen and sophomores, to all take the PSAT, even if you are not planning on taking the SAT. Not only is it great practice for overall standardized or strict testing, but there is always a chance that you can score well and gain recognition,” said senior Nicole Yeroushalmi. “I know a lot of fellow seniors who took the ACT regret not taking the PSAT because their skills could have carried over and they may have scored very well. ”
The National Merit Scholarship is well-known for its prestige and honor. Students each year fight to decorate their resume with this title and this year was no exception. Congratulations to the National Merit Semifinalists and good luck as they proceed into the later stages of the competition.
