NMSC
EVANSTON, IL — Officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of more than 16,000 semifinalists, including Hays High School student Addison Otte, in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
Addison is the daughter of Adam and Gabrielle Otte.
These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
Over 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.
The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.