This year there are eight National Merit Semi-finalists for the class of 2023. Less than 5% of test takers receive any form of acclaim from the National Merit Program, and only 1.25% are considered semi-finalists. These eight semi-finalists had to get a qualifying score of 219. That score varies from state to state, with a low of 207 in Montana to a high of 223 in New Jersey.

Students qualified through taking PSAT in October, 2021 to earn this significant title. Out of 500,000 just over 16,000 people actually make it to semifinals and even fewer qualify as finalists.

“I think it’s amazing, it’s a huge accomplishment,” lead counselor Kimm Dwyer said. “To have eight students is pretty amazing.”

Students sacrifice a lot to dedicate time to studying for the PSATs.

“I took a two week prep course over the summer before junior year, it really improved my math skills a lot,” said one semifinalist, Lily Tirpak.

Looking forward, semi-finalists will apply for the National Merit Finalist Program. Those who get selected will not only receive a $2,000 scholarship but also have the potential to get other college and corporate scholarships.

The 2023 Semi-Finalists are:

Liam Bustos
Deborah Chu
Lindsay Glaccum
Andrew Goin
Brooke McMullan
Lily Tirpak
Nicklas Di Tirro
Amy Wei