After consideration from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, seniors Quan Nguyen and Finn Archer have been selected as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. 

A National Merit Semifinalist, a student who meets the academic and PSAT standards of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, could win one of the Merit Scholarships worth $2,500 plus consideration of many corporate and business scholarships that can add up to tens of thousands of dollars. Over 16,000 students, which is less than 1% of high school seniors, are selected as a semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship. 

“I was honestly unaware of the entire situation and was kinda surprised about the amount of attention the whole situation garnered since to me, taking the PSAT just felt like another requirement I had to do,” Nguyen said. “With that said, I feel extremely honored and blessed, but at the same time, I feel equally as lucky to have just done well on the test at that time.” 

This year, the threshold for consideration was as tight as ever, with a difference of one or two points becoming a deciding factor in the acceptance status of many students. However, this tight threshold would not only stop Finn Archer, who made a perfect score on the PSAT, from achieving a goal, but also from fulfilling a family legacy.

“A couple of my older siblings got the award, and it really inspired me to try to get it,” Archer said. “When I saw the post, it brought light to my day.”