| The National Merit Scholarship is an honor awarded to | | | | also because colleges stand to benefit in the rankings |
| 2500 high school students every year to recognize | | | | if more Semifinalists elect to attend. Because |
| their academic excellence. Bill Gates, Federal Reserve | | | | becoming a Semifinalist can mean so much to |
| Chairman Ben Bernanke, and Amazon founder Jeff | | | | students, there is a heavy focus on what it takes to |
| Bezos all count themselves as members of this elite | | | | make the cut. |
| group. Most people know that the first step to | | | | This step-the selection of Semifinalists-is where the |
| becoming a National Merit Scholar is to take the | | | | NMSC becomes reticent to divulge information. |
| PSAT, which is also known as the National Merit | | | | Semifinalists are chosen on a per-state basis in order |
| Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT), but after that, | | | | to maintain a fair geographic distribution of National |
| the process is unclear. You're simply told to wait for | | | | Merit Scholars. According to the NMSC, the cutoffs |
| the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) to | | | | are selected to allow the top one percent of each |
| contact you. How exactly does one become a | | | | state's students to become Semifinalists. This means |
| National Merit Scholar? | | | | that there are different Semifinalist score cut-offs per |
| The NMSC releases some information about what a | | | | state. For example, in 2008, if you scored above a 216 |
| student must do to become a National Merit Scholar. | | | | in the state of Texas, you were a Semifinalist; in |
| Students have to take the PSAT during their junior | | | | California, however, the cut-off was 218. They span a |
| year of high school (exceptions exist for those who | | | | fairly large range: roughly from 205 to 220 each year. |
| are graduating early). About 1.5 million students take the | | | | The cutoffs are generally not published by the NMSC. |
| PSAT every year. Of these, the NMSC selects the | | | | In fact, they consider the cut-offs proprietary |
| 50,000 with the highest scores to be selected either as | | | | information and have had their lawyers request that |
| a Commended Student or a National Merit Scholarship | | | | bloggers remove the information from their websites. |
| Semifinalist. Drawing on these 50,000 students, 34,000 | | | | Because the information is not published by the NMSC, |
| are selected as Commended Students, and are out of | | | | data on the internet can be of questionable reliability. |
| the running to become National Merit Scholars. The | | | | To get an idea of what the Semifinalist cut-off is in |
| remaining 16,000 are deemed National Merit | | | | your state, you can examine old data and make an |
| Scholarship Semifinalists, and are notified early in their | | | | educated guess. Generally, the cut-offs do not vary by |
| senior year of high school. Of these Semifinalists, | | | | more than two or three points in either direction. The |
| 15,000 go on to become Finalists and vie for National | | | | best way to hedge against those fluctuations and |
| Merit Scholarships. | | | | maximize your chances of becoming a National Merit |
| Although becoming a National Merit Scholar is a huge | | | | Semifinalist is to prepare for the PSAT thoroughly. |
| honor, generally speaking, even becoming a Semifinalist | | | | Although most students will prepare for the SAT, they |
| is enough to have a significant impact on a student's | | | | often neglect the PSAT, which is arguably more |
| educational opportunities. Lists of Semifinalists are | | | | important (because you only get one shot at becoming |
| released to the media and colleges, who make | | | | a Semifinalist). A great time to get ready for the |
| concerted efforts to contact these students and offer | | | | PSAT and the SAT-which cover nearly identical |
| them special scholarships and programs. This is not | | | | material-is the summer after your sophomore year. |
| only because NMS Semifinalists are bright students, but | | | | |