11 LHS seniors were given the title of National Merit finalists, a prestigious honor only awarded to a select population: Alannah Bade, Elizabeth Crawford, Chloe Houwman, Alexis Ung, Clayton Stokka, Leah Derenge, Lila Batcheller, Lily Geffre, Jayden Bartlett, Daniel Bethke, Ryan Brost.

The PSAT/NMSQT is an exam provided by the College Board corporation which allows the participants, typically sophomores and juniors, to be put in the running for the National Merit Scholarship Program; a competitive scholarship program with a great reward. 

“It’s an honor to be recognized at a national level for something I’ve accomplished. Not only does it strengthen my college applications, but it also eliminates a lot of the stress of college decisions.” said LHS senior and National Merit Finalist, Leah Derenge. 

According to College Board, “The PSAT/NMSQT is the only qualifying test for the National Merit® Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships.” This unique opportunity is only available to those who have taken the PSAT/NMSQT.

In addition to the opportunity of receiving National Merit status, another advantage of taking the PSAT/NMSQT is exposing students to various colleges and universities based on their interests. Students are eligible to receive emails, physical letters and other forms of contact from schools when registering for the PSAT/NMSQT. This feature gives students access to getting in contact with schools which fit their top priorities and also gets them thinking about their options for life after high school. National Merit Finalists are offered scholarships from various participating colleges and universities averaging $4,000 in total.

“Since some college admissions decisions don’t come out until spring, it’s nice to know that there are always safety schools with extensive– even full-tuition– scholarships to fall back on.” said Derenge.

The process of becoming a National Merit Finalist involves many requirements. Students begin by taking the PSAT/NMSQT as a sophomore or junior. Once receiving scores, a population of students with qualifying scores are considered National Merit Semi-Finalists. In order to become finalists, they must submit their ACT or SAT test scores, a recommendation letter from their counselor and an application essay. After these elements are submitted, semi-finalists are considered to become a National Merit Finalist. 

After learning all about the National Merit program and its benefits, one may be asking themselves how to accomplish becoming a National Merit Finalist. LHS senior Daniel Bethke was a 2022 National Merit Finalist and he advises students interested in this opportunity to put in the work. There are materials provided from College Board online and physical copies which are available to students who are willing to work and study for the exam.

“When you register, they give you a packet full of practice exam questions, answers and explanations and I would suggest reviewing that,” said Bethke. “Additionally, I advise you to look over the things that you got wrong and find out why you got it wrong and try to solve similar problems.”