The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for high school students in the United States. Each year, approximately 16,000 students are named National Merit Semifinalists. These students are selected based on their exceptional academic performance, as measured by their scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
To become a National Merit Semifinalist, students must score in the top 1% of all PSAT/NMSQT test takers in their state. Semifinalists are then eligible to compete for National Merit Scholarships, which are awarded based on students’ academic records, test scores, and extracurricular activities.
