Golden Scholar

Orlando Laney, fellow peer, classmate, golden hawk, and our very own national merit semifinalist. The National Merit is a scholarship program with several opportunities for juniors who take the PSAT. If you’re a high school junior or the parent of a high school junior, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the National Merit Scholarship qualifications, as most juniors will take the PSAT or NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) in October of their junior year.

In order to be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Program, a student must: 1) take the PSAT/NMSQT during his or her 3rd year (junior year) of high school, 2) be in high school and plan to enroll in college full-time by the fall after his or her high school graduation and 3) be a U.S. citizen or a permanent U.S. resident with the intention of becoming a U.S. citizen.  If a student meets these requirements, he or she will automatically be eligible to take part in the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP).

Orlando Laney, now a senior, qualified as a semifinalist. About one-third of the remaining 50,000 semi-finalists will qualify as NMS finalists. Universities from across the country offer  full scholarships to students who make the cut. The NMS corporation announces the winners on May 6, 2015. We wish Orlando luck!