For many students, getting scholarship money towards college is like winning the lottery. Recently, a few Pelham students came one step closer to winning that jackpot through their academic achievements. Seniors Saul Glist, William Taubner, Emily Xue, George Dunhill, Nathan Rosenberg, and Patrick Shiels were among the 1% of test-takers who received a score of 1400/1520 on the PSAT. This qualifies them for the National Merit Scholarship Competition (NMSC), an academic program that provides scholarships to students.

Of the roughly 1.5 million students in the nation who take the PSAT exam, only 16,000 are chosen as semifinalists.

Semifinalist George Dunhill said, “I had been studying a lot for my ACT before the PSAT and I think that helped me get the score I needed to get.”

Once chosen as a semifinalist, competitors must submit an NMSC application by the fall of senior year to become a finalist. In February, the number of semifinalists is cut to 15,000. Some 7,500 students are chosen for scholarships.

Emily Xue, another semifinalist, said, “I wasn’t expecting it, but once I got the results I was surprised!”