Seventeen Choate seniors have been named 2007 National Merit Semifinalists this year: Michael Bozzi, Yifan Cao, Steven Chen, Christopher Douglas, Amy Gobel, Allison Hinckley, Marian Homans-Turnbull, Joon Lee, Janet Li, Alexandra Long, Grace Marrinan, Martin McDonald, Julia Nick, Christopher Rewinski, Jillian Ruben, Meng Xie, and Irene Zhang. Choate had four more semifinalists this year than last year’s total of thirteen, and seven more than the ten semifinalists that Choate had two years ago.
A rite of passage for all juniors is the PSAT, or the Preliminary SAT. During the fall, both juniors and sophomores take this standardized test. For the sophomores, the PSAT is just practice, with playing no role in the college process. However, for the juniors the test is the entrance exam for consideration by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). This program enables students to gain national recognition and financial aid towards their college tuition.
The NMSC, according to their website, has conducted competitions for recognition and undergraduate scholarships since its foundation in 1955. To qualify, one must take the PSAT during one’s junior year. After taking the test in October, a number of high-scoring students are contacted in April. These students are then asked to name two colleges they are interested in attending. The two colleges are notified by the NMSC. This notification may help the prospective student receive a scholarship specific to that college. In September of their senior year, 50,000 National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Students are announced.
Student Selection
The NMSC says that students are selected by score relative to the Selection Index of the region in which their school is located. Choate is a special case in this system. Choate competes in the Northeast Independent Schools region, one of the most competitive selection units in the country. This unit contains 118 independent schools, ranging geographyically from Exeter in New Hampshire, to Choate in Connecticut, all the way down to boarding schools in Virginia. The Selection Index, different for each region or group of boarding schools, is a specific score that students must beat to become semifinalists.
Around two-thirds of the 50,000 students recognized in April become Commended Students. Commended Students receive letters of commendation documenting their success on the PSAT. However, because these students did not score higher than the selection index, they do not continue in the National Merit Scholarship competition.
Although these Commended Students do not continue throughout the process, they can still qualify for related scholarships, donated by NMSC sponsors. These scholarships go to children of employees of the sponsors or juniors interested in a specific major in college.
The other third of the 50,000, among them listed above, recognized students become National Merit Semifinalists. These are the students who scored above the selection index and are under consideration for National Merit Scholarship Finalist standing and finally National Merit Scholarships.
To continue on in the process, a semifinalist must submit his or her transcript to the National Merit Corporation. The corporation looks over the transcripts and decides whether the student deserves to become a National Merit Finalist. Surprisingly, becoming a National Merit Finalist is easier than becoming a semifinalist. According to Dean Jacoby, head of Choate’s College Counseling Office, almost 90% of semifinalists become finalists.
Contrary to popular belief, being a National Merit Scholar doesn’t help in the college process very much. Jacoby notes, “Becoming a National Merit Semifinalist only confirms something that the colleges already know, that you (the semifinalist) are a good test taker.”
While the list of semifinalists is announced in September, the list of finalists is released in early November, after early college applications are mailed to the colleges. Early applicants are therefore unable to put National Merit Finalist on their applications. The announcement of the winners of National Merit Scholarships is made in April, so applicants are universally unable to put National Merit Scholarship Winner, a hefty title with much prestige, on their résumés.
The NMSC banks on the prestige of the award to help students boost their chances in getting into college. The seventeen semifinalists will still have a long way to go if they hope to get into the college of their dreams.
