(Evanston, Illinois) Today offi cials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifi nalists in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be off ered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifi nalists must fulfi ll several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition.
About 95 percent of the Semifi nalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
NMSC, a not-for-profi t organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifi cally to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 320 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.
Steps in the 2024 Competition Over 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifi nalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifi nalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
To become a Finalist, the Semifi nalist and a high school offi cial must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifi nalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifi nalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school offi cial, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confi rm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
From over 16,000 Semifi nalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notifi ed of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.
National Merit Scholarships Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be off ered in the spring of 2024. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 840 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 160 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specifi ed criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offi ces are located. In addition, about 160 colleges and universities are expected to fi nance some 3,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2024 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join nearly 375,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
SAYRESAYRE H.S. 185 Crabb, Cassidy C.
