The National Merit Scholarship is one of the most popular and prestigious high school scholarships in the United States.

In this post we provide key dates, application requirements, and tips and tricks for how to win a National Merit Scholarship in 202

4. What is the National Merit Scholarship?

TheNational Merit Scholarship is sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

Each year, around 8,000 National Merit Scholars are chosen to receive varying amounts in scholarships to help students cover the cost of college.

The mission of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is to recognize and honor the academically talented students of the United States.

NMSC accomplishes its mission by conducting nationwide academic scholarship programs.

NMSC Students qualify for the scholarship by taking the PSAT/NMSQT test usually in the junior year of high school.

This exam is very similar to the extremely well-known SAT exam held by College Board, and consists of a reading and writing section and math section.

Students can receive three types of scholarships: the $2,500 National Merit Scholarship, one of the corporate-sponsored merit scholarships, and $500

- $2,000 renewed merit scholarships.

Some American colleges have special scholarship programs, like the University of Houston that awards a full-ride scholarship and research and study abroad stipends for National Merit Scholars.

About 50,000 participants receive recognition, out of which 16,000 become semifinalists and 15,000 become finalists.

Who Can Win a National Merit Scholarship?

To apply for this highly competitive program, make sure you meet all the eligibility requirements below: Take the PSAT/NMSQT during Grade 11 Be a high school student in good academic standing  Attend high school in the United States The main rite of passage to be a National Merit Scholar, or to win one of its corporate-affiliated scholarships, is to take the PSAT/NMSQT that is taken in the junior year in high school.

What’s the selection criteria?

To win a National Merit Scholarship, students have to first take the PSAT/NMSQT at their high school.

This test is extremely similar to the SAT in format and difficulty level.

High schools typically offer this test for their own students, but homeschooled students and those with special circumstances can request to take the PSAT at a participating location with permission from the school staff. https://www. youtube. com/watch?v=YMzNJ00Z4Kg Check out this video on tips and tricks for how to score a perfect 1600 on the SAT.

The first cutoff of the selection criteria is having to score within the top 1% of PSAT takers in the student’s home state.

This score cutoff is determined by a student’s Selection Index (SI).

The SI cutoff varies among states, with larger-population states (like Texas, California, and New York) having higher cutoffs.

These scores tend to vary slightly year-by-year.

See the most recent cutoff scores for the 2024 year here.

Online calculators are available for calculating students’ SI based on PSAT score and whether they’ll be eligible for the next round.

Around 16,000 students in the U.

S. pass this cutoff.

To reach the next stage of being a National Merit Finalist, an online application is required.

This includes:  An essay with changing prompts throughout the years.

For some perspective, the 2023 prompt was “Describe an experience you have had, a person who has influenced you, or an obstacle you have overcome. ” A submission from a high school official of the student’s grades and courses taken  SAT or ACT score to validate the student’s PSAT score Be endorsed by high school principal or school official From this pool, around 15,000 are selected as National Merit Finalists.

Around 8,000 will ultimately win a National Merit Scholarship.

National Merit Scholarship Acceptance Rate From around

1. 5 million applicants (those who have taken the PSAT), 8,000 are chosen as scholarship recipients.

This yields a

0. 5% acceptance rate.

This is extremely competitive.

However, the good news is that having a high PSAT score increases your odds tremendously.

See the next section for how to maximize your chances at winning a National Merit Scholarship.

How Do I Win a National Merit Scholarship?

Now that we’ve established that the National Merit Scholarship is a highly competitive program, you need to have an exceptional application to distinguish yourself in the applicant pool.

If you’re a hopeful, make sure you follow these steps to win a National Merit Scholarship.

Start preparing for the PSAT early to win a National Merit Scholarship.

Giving yourself ample time to prepare for the PSAT will reflect highly on your overall score.

There are numerous test-taking practice resources online.

Note that since the PSAT is highly similar to the SAT (it’s slightly easier), many SAT practice resources work too.

To win a National Merit Scholarship, make sure you take advantage of these resources.

As a cautionary note, beware of test prep schools and services that encourage parents to pay thousands in fees with promises of raising your PSAT or SAT score.

While some are indeed successful in helping students, it's good to note that there are many other free testing resources available.

Obtaining a high PSAT score is attainable and doesn’t require fancy prep schools to do so.

Make sure you take the time to sit down to take at least one practice PSAT exam—simulate the test taking environment and familiarize yourself with the reading and writing and math sections so that you’re not caught by surprise on the test day.

From the practice test, determine the areas you still need to work on and do more practice on those sections later on.

A general tip is to bring a non-digital watch on the day of the PSAT so that you can time yourself and stay on track.

Don’t forget to bring snacks, water, and pencils/erasers.

Next, highlight your personality and achievements in your essay.

For the finalist stage, make sure to utilize your application to your advantage.

Make sure to personalize your essays as much as possible in order to hammer home who you are as a person and why you deserve a spot in the scholarship program over everyone else.

Remember, show, don’t tell.

Start your essay with a hook or in medias res to snag the reader’s attention and pack it with colorful verbs and phrases to leave a lasting impression on the selection committee.

Use meaningful anecdotes and dialogue, if applicable.

Think of this essay as your elevator pitch.

What differentiates you from the other applicants and why do you deserve to win a National Merit Scholarship?

How could it benefit you?

Use these questions to guide your essay brainstorming process.

Lastly, fulfill all application criteria.

Make sure that you’ve fulfilled all requirements prior to the deadline.

Do not risk a void application because of missing or late materials.

Concluding Remarks In conclusion, we provided a comprehensive overview of the National Merit Scholarship as well as how to maximize your chances at winning.

Undergraduate scholarships not only do a great deal in alleviating financial burden but are overall great opportunities to socialize with other bright scholars and gain a supportive community.

However, each scholarship can only accommodate so many recipients—the key lies in applying to multiple to increase your odds at obtaining one.

Check out Rishab’s ultimate scholarship guide that contains 90+ vouched scholarships that are absolutely worth the time applying for.

Best of luck!

Image Credit: National Merit Scholarship Corporation.