The Scholars

What It Takes To Become A National Merit Scholarship Finalist

Priscilla Morris, Staffer

The National Merit Scholarship Program also known as the NMSP is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the NMSP by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), a test which serves as an initial screen of about 1.6 million entrants each year by meeting published program entry and participation requirements.

Sarah Power, Orisa Coombs, and Max Gordon are the only three students at Smoky Hill this year who have been chosen as  National Merit Scholarship finalists. Both Gordon and Power are in the 11th grade and Coombs is in the 12th grade.

“Once you find out if your score was high enough to qualify as a semi-finalist you then put in a application for a finalist position so you have to send in your grades, a letter of recommendation from your counselor and an essay as well”, Power said.

Taking the PSAT practice tests that are offered at the start of your freshman year to your junior year should give you a higher chance on getting a higher score. Like people say, practice makes perfect.

“I was pretty excited when I found out. The colleges that I am looking at right now give pretty significant scholarships so it’s definitely going to help me financially to go to college. I want to go to a school that has a engineering program so it’s either Washington State or Oklahoma State which both nearly give full rides to National Merit Finalists”, said Gordon.

Powers was pretty excited too when she found out the news. Smiling and giggling she  said, “I was really happy and proud because I think I have been lucky enough to be a pretty good test taker so it was nice that it kind of paid off to have that type of talent I guess.

If any one of them move into the finalist round they can get a $2,500 scholarship every year.

“If you have the chance and want to take it seriously I would recommend taking as many standardized  tests as you can especially the PSAT and get a study book or guide so you could get a better understanding of the test. Doing these things should ultimately get you a higher score on the test”, Coombs said.