How many National Merit Scholars are there in 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.

How many National Merit Scholars are there each year?

A total of about 50,000 participants receive recognition in the National Merit^® Scholarship Program.

What are the odds of becoming a National Merit Scholar?

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.

How many National Merit Semifinalists are there in each state?

Unlike the national Commended cutoff, Semifinalist cutoffs are calculated state by state. NMSC allocates the 16,000 semifinalists among states based on the annual number of high school graduates. For example, California sees about 2,000 Semifinalists every year, Michigan 500, and Wyoming 25.

Is National Merit finalist a big deal?

Recognition: Being a National Merit Finalist is a significant achievement and can be included on college applications, resumes, and other professional documents. Increased college admissions chances: Many colleges and universities give preferential treatment to National Merit Finalists in the admissions process.

HOW TO WIN THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP / PSAT National Merit Scholarship / National Merit Scholar

How many National Merit Semifinalists 2023?

NMSC is excited to announce the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 2023 National Merit® Scholarship Program.

How prestigious is National Merit Scholar?

The National Merit Scholarship is only one of many merit scholarships that students can win in the college application process, but it is among the most prestigious.

How impressive is National Merit?

This is considered a great honor that is documented in a Certificate of Merit. Around 15,000 semifinalists advance to this standing. Merit Scholars: About 7,500 seniors are notified in March that they received the designation of “Merit Scholar” and are awarded the $2,500 National Merit Scholarship.

What is the average score of National Merit Scholars?

PSAT NMSQT Qualifying Scores for 2022

Selection Index cutoffs compare the scores of test takers in each state. You'll probably get national percentiles on your PSAT score report, but state percentiles are the ones NMSC uses to award students. The average of all the PSAT NMSQT qualifying scores is 215.

Is 1400 enough for National Merit?

First, a 1400 is an excellent score on the PSAT, so congratulations on that achievement. However, whether it qualifies for National Merit does depend on the state you're in, as whether or not you're named a semifinalist depends on whether your score is within the top 1% of test-takers in your state.

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?

How many National Merit finalists become scholars?

Of the 15,000 Finalists, about 8,000 receive Merit Scholarship awards.

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.

What happens if you are a National Merit semifinalist?

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. Only Semifinalists will have an opportunity to advance in the competition for Merit Scholarship^® awards.

How competitive is National Merit Scholarship?

Out of around 1.5 million eligible high school students, the program identifies 50,000 top scorers for commendation or a scholarship. That means the program recognizes the top 3% of test-takers nationally. Less than 1% of test-takers will receive a scholarship.

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.

How hard is it to become a National Merit finalist?

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.

What percent of people get National Merit finalist?

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.

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.

Does Harvard accept 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. You must choose one of the sponsor colleges as your first-choice school on your application to be considered for a scholarship.

Which schools have the most National Merit finalists?

Should I put commended Scholar on common app?

NMS Commended usually goes on the Awards/Honors section of the Common App, and it's relatively prestigious. Both.

Do National Merit Semifinalists get money?

Parents get excited when notified that their student is a National Merit Semi-Finalist or National Merit Finalist. While this title garners prestige, often this distinction does not yield any money, leaving many families confused about the process.

What is the difference between National Merit Scholar and finalist?

Finalists are typically announced in February of their senior year of high school. National Merit Scholar: National Merit Scholarships are awarded to a subset of Finalists who demonstrate exceptional academic achievements, leadership, and community involvement.