How many National Merit Semifinalists are there each year?

Semifinalists. More than 16,000 of the high scorers, representing less than 1% of the nation's high school graduating seniors, will qualify as Semifinalists.

How many National Merit Semifinalists are there?

About 16,000 of the 50,000 are recognized as National Merit Semifinalists in this process.

How many National Merit Semifinalists are there in 2024?

NMSC is excited to announce the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 2024 National Merit® Scholarship Program.

How many people get the National Merit Scholarship each year?

Approximately 7,140 National Merit Scholarships will be awarded. No student can receive more than one monetary award from NMSC. See Types of Scholarships for further details.

What percent of Semifinalists become finalists?

About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

How I Won the National Merit Scholarship (and how you can too!)

Is it a big deal to be a National Merit semifinalist?

Gaining recognition as a National Merit Semifinalist is a prestigious achievement to include on college applications, and many colleges and corporate sponsors offer special scholarships to these students, even if they don't become finalists.

How hard is it to be a National Merit Semifinalist?

Regardless of the exact cutoff for your state, all of the students who qualify earn high scores—less than the top 1% of high school students advance to become Semifinalists. The College Board includes this on your PSAT score report if you're eligible.

Does a 1400 PSAT qualify for National Merit?

3. Does a 1400 PSAT Qualify for National Merit? Based on the scores of real grade 11 students who took the PSAT, a score of 1400 puts you in the 97th percentile. You may not qualify for the National Merit Scholarship with this score: it also depends on the cut-off scores of your state.

How rare is National Merit?

Of the 1.3 million eligible students who take the PSAT/NMSQT, only about 50,000 of the highest scoring students will receive program recognition. Students whose scores qualify them for recognition in the National Merit Program will be notified through their high schools in September following the test administration.

How rare is National Merit finalist?

A finalist chances of winning

Of the 1.5 million applicants who submitted a PSAT score, there are only 7,250 National Merit Scholarship winners. This means you have a 0.5% chance of becoming a National Merit Scholar, making this one of the most competitive merit-based scholarships.

What percentage of people are National Merit Semifinalists?

Semifinalists. More than 16,000 of the high scorers, representing less than 1% of the nation's high school graduating seniors, will qualify as Semifinalists.

What percent of students get National Merit Semifinalist?

The top 1%, usually about 16,000 students, are named National Merit Semifinalists. Semifinalists may go on to apply for Finalist status and potentially win scholarship money. As I mentioned above, NMSC uses its own Selection Index along with state percentiles. Let's take a look at how your scores convert to this index.

How do I know if I am a National Merit Semifinalist?

National Merit Semifinalist Qualifying Scores

The NMSC uses its own Selection Index to determine which students qualify as Commended Students and Semifinalists. In general, students who score in the top 3-4% are named Commended Scholars, while students who score in the top 1% are deemed Semifinalists.

How many Nmsqt Semifinalists become finalists?

Is it hard for a Semifinalist to become a Finalist? Of the 16,000 Semifinalists, 15,000 become Finalists. You must go through an application process to proceed to Finalist level and then to compete for National Merit Scholarships.

What PSAT score is needed for National Merit?

The Selection Index ranges from 48-228 and is equal to the sum of your test scores for Math, Reading, and Writing and Language. For the 2022 scholarship cycle, 207 represented the national qualifying score cutoff.

What GPA do you need for National Merit?

A 3.5 GPA or higher is needed in order to be a National Merit Scholar. The awarding scholarship committee wants to see that your PSAT score was not just a fluke and your GPA is confirmation of that. Your GPA will show how well you have done in school each semester and that you consistently care about your academics.

Do colleges care about National Merit Scholar?

Some colleges offer scholarships and perks for Commended Students, semifinalists, finalists, and Merit Scholars. In turn, schools get bragging rights for enrolling an impressive percentage of Merit Scholars.

Do National Merit finalists get money?

Finalists compete with all other Finalists in their state or selection unit for one of the 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships. Winners are selected by a committee of college admission officers and high school counselors. National Merit^® $2500 Scholarships provide a single payment of $2,500.

Is 1470 PSAT enough for National Merit?

To be competitive for National Merit Semifinalist status, students need to score about 1400 on the PSAT in less competitive states like Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota . . . or about 1470 on the PSAT in more competitive states like Connecticut or New Jersey.

What is a 221 PSAT score?

To get to 221, a student can get approximately 6 to 8 problems wrong between all the sections. For example, on the Fall 2023 PSAT, students could meet 221 with four wrong on Reading and Writing, and four wrong on Math.

Is 1300 a good PSAT score for National Merit?

Juniors who score between 1200–1360 fall within the top 10% of all test-takers. If you are trying to get a National Merit Scholarship you do have to get into the top 1% of test-takers. And remember that the PSAT is scored slightly different than the SAT. While the SAT score range is 400–1600, the PSAT is 320–1520.

Do colleges care if you're a National Merit Semifinalist?

If the schools you are interested in do not give students money, semi-finalist to finalist is of no difference to you. Some colleges will give scholarship money to semi-finalists. It really depends on the schools you are interested in. Not being named a finalist will not impact your chances of admission at any school.

How many Nmsqt finalists are there?

Although all students who become Finalists are outstanding, not all Finalists receive a Merit Scholarship award. Of the 15,000 Finalists in the 2024 program, about half will win an award, and no student will receive more than one scholarship offer from NMSC.

What happens if you win National Merit?

Scholarship Opportunities: National Merit Finalists are eligible for prestigious scholarships, including the National Merit Scholarship Program, corporate-sponsored scholarships, and college-sponsored scholarships. These scholarships can provide substantial financial support for higher education. College Admiss.

Do Ivies care about National Merit?

Some colleges that do NOT sponsor scholarships for National Merit students include Harvard and other Ivy League schools, Middlebury College, MIT, Stanford, and Williams College.