1.5 million students enter the National Merit Scholarship program each year, but only 16,000, roughly 1% earn distinction as a semifinalist. PMHS senior Eliana Herzog took the PSAT in the fall of her junior year at Pelham Memorial High School and received her PSAT/NMSQT scores that same winter. One year later, she found out she had earned distinction as a semifinalist. February of the 2022 school year, she advanced on to become one of the finalists.

The mission statement of the National Merit Scholarship is to “recognize and honor the academically talented students of the United States” and they select their students from a pool who meet the published program entry requirements. Students take the PSAT/NMSQT in the specified year of their four-year high school program, no later than the fourth year, and receive their scores in the winter. The PSATs are administered at high schools across the country, and the competition is no joke. Being among less than 1% of PSAT participants to earn the finalist distinction is an incredible accomplishment. The National Merit Scholarship finalists are decided senior year and scholarships are awarded in May of senior year.

Although Herzog received no scholarship, she has since committed to Duke University and is very excited for her college journey and future academic accomplishments.

“I was just happy that the work that I put in paid off and I was able to earn that distinction,” Herzog said