Is being a National Merit Scholar a big deal?

Certain universities offer very large scholarships to National Merit Scholars. The actual National Merit Scholarship doesn't make a huge difference, but a university-specific full-ride or nearly so certainly does (thus graduating debt-free).

Do colleges care if you are a National Merit Scholar?

While the size of the award isn't as generous as other programs you'll find in your quest to find and win scholarships, it's worth educating yourself on this award for one huge, added benefit: being a National Merit Scholar can provide a powerful boost to your college application.

Is National Merit Scholar worth it?

Certain universities will also award sizable merit aid scholarships (up to full tuition), even for Semifinalists. A National Merit designation can help in the admissions process. However, your SAT/GPA and “hook” will matter more at America's most selective schools.

How rare is a National Merit Scholar?

A specific number of students, which varies each year, advance to Finalist standing based on these criteria. At the end of the competition, a select group of Finalists are chosen to receive $2500 National Merit Scholarships. Scholarship winners represent less than 1% of the initial pool of student entrants.

How impressive is National Merit?

At this stage you might be named either a Commended Student or a Semifinalist. Both are impressive markers that are worth putting in your college application. Less than 5% of test takers receive any commendation from the National Merit program.

National Merit Scholarship Program: What Is It and How It Works?

Are National Merit Scholars smart?

Assuming the lower bound is 131, the median National Merit Scholar (a student at the 50th percentile of the group) will have an IQ of 135.

Do Ivy Leagues 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.

Was Bill Gates a National Merit Scholar?

He was a National Merit Scholar when he graduated from Lakeside School in 1973. He scored 1590 out of 1600 on the Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT) and enrolled at Harvard College in the autumn of 1973. He chose a pre-law major but took mathematics (including Math 55) and graduate level computer science courses.

How many people become National Merit Scholars?

The 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. The release is made available here to provide information about these awards.

What percentile do I need for National Merit Scholar?

But to become a National Merit Scholar, you'll need to outscore over 99% of PSAT test-takers. What PSAT score will you need for a National Merit Scholarship?

Does Harvard care about National Merit?

In fact, very few of the most competitive colleges and universities sponsor National Merit Scholarships®. That doesn't mean these schools don't have National Merit Scholars®. In 2020, Stanford enrolled 172, Harvard 183, and MIT 159. None of these students received National Merit Scholarships® to attend these schools.

What qualifies you as a National Merit Scholar?

In order to be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Program, a student must: 1) take the PSAT/NMSQT during his or her 3rd year (junior year) of high school 2) be enrolled as a high school student (traditional or homeschooled) and plan to enroll in college full time by the fall after his or her high school ...

Is National Merit an honor?

They will be named on the basis of a nationally applied Selection Index qualifying score that may vary from year to year. In recognition of their outstanding ability and potential for academic success in college, NMSC will honor these students by sending Letters of Commendation to them through their high schools.

What GPA do you need for National Merit?

National Merit Semi-Finalist and Finalist students take their academics seriously. You must maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA to qualify for the application process and maintain that GPA throughout your four years of high school.

Does Harvard accept National Merit Scholarship?

Outside Awards

Like many of our students, you may receive scholarship funds from sources outside Harvard, such as secondary schools, civic organizations, your parental employers, corporations, the National Merit Scholarship Programs, and the ROTC.

Does a 1400 PSAT qualify for National Merit?

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.

What are the benefits of the National Merit Scholarship?

The National Merit Scholarship awards $2,500 to each National Merit Scholar. Every year, around 7,500 high school juniors receive a National Merit Scholarship. In addition to a National Merit Scholarship, students with qualifying PSAT scores can receive merit scholarships offered by businesses and colleges.

How do you know if you're a National Merit finalist?

Finalists are notified in early February by mail at their home addresses. A student may also access their Finalist letter through their Online Scholarship Application account. See Information about the National Merit Scholarship Competition for additional details.

How many National Merit finalists are there 2023?

The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Did Mark Zuckerberg finish college?

Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of college in 2004 to devote himself to Facebook, which he had founded at Harvard University with four fellow students there—Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Chris Hughes. Mark Zuckerberg (born May 14, 1984, White Plains, New York, U.S.)

How hard is it to win a National Merit Scholarship?

A finalist chances of winning

Ultimately, a National Merit finalist has about a 50% chance of being selected as a National Merit scholar. 7,250 finalists will become National Merit Scholars, receiving a National Merit Scholarship amount of $2,500 to help cover the cost of college.

What is the least competitive ivy?

Does Yale accept National Merit?

Yale does not award merit-based scholarships, but Yale students often qualify for merit awards from other organizations. Some resources for finding outside scholarships are listed under Sources for Outside Aid.