A Guide to the National Merit Scholarship Program
What is a National Merit Scholar?
The National Merit Scholarship program is a coveted merit-based competition that recognizes high school students with outstanding standardized test scores and high-caliber extracurricular resumes. The awards are given on behalf of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) and are comprised of various levels including corporate scholarships, school scholarships, and traditional private scholarships from NMSC. If you are interested in pursuing this prestigious award, read this helpful guide to help you position yourself for success.
Simply put, a National Merit Scholar is a student who is recognized for scoring within the top 1% on the PSAT in his or her state. Students must meet certain eligibility requirements, such as being enrolled in a traditional high school or homeschool grade 9 to 12, meet citizenship and/or residency requirements, and adhere to the guidelines outlined on the NMSC website.
But winning a scholarship is about so much more than financing your education. Merit Scholars enjoy inclusion in a highly exclusive and competitive program. Each year, over 1.6 million students compete in the program and fewer than 16,000 receive awards. Many National Merit Scholars have gone on to become highly successful and visible in a variety of fields – such as Jeff Bezos, John Roberts, and Peter P. Buttigieg.
What to focus on if you want to become a National Merit Scholar
If you have your sights set on becoming a National Merit Scholar, you’ll need to score within the top 1% of students taking the PSAT in your junior year. Additionally, you will need to put together an impressive application that showcases your extracurricular activities, community service, and references detailing your academic performance and character.
Do not rush the application process. It is worth your time to put effort into creating an impressive portfolio. It is important to note that only a small percentage of total applicants are awarded scholarships, so you will need to present an outstanding application to get the judges’ attention.
Finally, although the awards are chosen based on PSAT scores, you will need an excellent score on the SAT in order to be a finalist. While the NMSC does not ask for a specific range of scores, it does use your final SAT scores as part of your application. In essence, this means that your SAT result needs to be high enough to support your PSAT scores.