Did You Know?
Since 1989, Westminster Christian Academy has had 37 students recognized in the National Merit Scholarship Competition as Scholars, Finalists, Semifinalists, Commended Students, National Hispanic Finalists, and National Achievement Finalists. This year Westminster is blessed to have three students recognized, and we are eager to see how far they will advance in the competition. Westminster is the only school in St. Landry Parish to have students named as a 2017 National Merit Semifinalist.
So, what is the National Merit Scholarship Competition?
National Merit seeks to honor through recognition and scholarships the exceptional academic ability of our nation’s high school students. Students who qualify as a Semifinalist advance through a rigorous review process. Those selected as a Finalist continue through a second review and may be named a National Merit Scholar and awarded a scholarship. Other students are recognized as Commended Students, National Achievement Finalists, and National Hispanic Finalists.
Why is the honor so significant?
Less than 1 percent of each state’s high school seniors are selected as a National Merit Semifinalist. Putting that into perspective, over 1.6 million students in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Competition by taking the 2015 PSAT. From the 50,000 high scorers nationwide, about 16,000 were named National Merit Semifinalists, representing the top scorers in each state, and approximately 34,000 other students will be commended for their exceptional performance on the PSAT/NMSQT.
What scholarships does National Merit award?
About 7,500 National Merit Scholarships will be offered in 2017 through three types of awards: 1) National Merit $2500 Scholarships, 2) Corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards, and 3) College-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards. The total worth of these scholarships exceeds $33 million.
How do students qualify?
Each fall Westminster juniors take the PSAT/NMSQT, the qualifying test for National Merit.