A $2,500 scholarship, a corporate-sponsored scholarship, and a college-sponsored scholarship are all up for grabs for the 2022 National Merit Scholarship. This year, 214 of the 16,000 semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship are from FCPS! 

The National Merit Scholarship is a competitive program that is very difficult to receive. 1.5 million juniors set foot in the National Merit program in 2020, yet there are only 7,500 people who obtain  the scholarship. To be put in the running, all you have to do is take the PSAT/NMSQT. If you score high enough, then you will be automatically entered into the National Merit Scholarship system. 

“I never really studied specifically for the PSAT, but I took my SAT the week after so I guess I was indirectly studying for the PSAT as well. I studied for about three months,” National Merit Scholarship Semi-finalist and South Lakes senior Caroline Amsbary says.

The 2022 National Merit Scholarship candidates took their PSAT in 2020, right in the middle of Covid. This timing would definitely have an effect on the students’ scores. For some, this may have had a positive outcome by having more time to study.  However, to others this may not have been so beneficial. If someone had a chaotic home, or had to adopt more responsibilities, it would become much more difficult to study from that environment.

“I think I actually had more time to study and prepare because of all the time I spent at home due to Covid,” Caroline says.

This is definitely a challenging and competitive scholarship to attempt to achieve, and choosing to go for the scholarship can seem very daunting. It is, however, incredibly rewarding if you get any of the possible scholarships. 

“Just make sure to study for the PSAT so that you’re prepared and get a lot of sleep the night before,” Caroline says. 

The National Merit Scholarship is a large commitment of time and dedication, however if you believe to be up for the task, it is unquestionably worth the effort. The scholarship is a fantastic way to abate some of those intimidating college dues, and give yourself another element to add to your resume.