Editor’s Note: 42Fifty Managing Editor Jessica VanVooren is included in this article as one of the National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists. She did not take part in the writing or editing of this story.
This fall, four Oswego seniors were named semi-finalists for the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship. The OH seniors include Jessica VanVooren, John Kellogg and Stephen Balhan; homeschooled student Ezra Diggle was also named semi-finalist.
The road to this prestigious award is a long, competitive process that begins four years prior to the fall when students take the PSAT/NMSQT as freshmen.
“I found out about my nomination on September 18th. Stephen sent me an article that listed the names of the semifinalists, and I was given materials by the school the following week,” said OH senior and semifinalist John Kellogg.
When checking a student’s score, a notification is sent alerting the student that their score is eligible for a scholarship. However, out of 1.3 million applicants, only 50,000 of the top percentile scores are selected to move forward.
These 50,000 are named semifinalists, the current stage in awards. Following being alerted of their semifinalist status, each student must complete an in-depth application to finalize the top 16,000. The top 16,000 will be named finalists, with 7,140 winners sharing over $26 million in scholarship funds.
“To become a finalist, I have to submit an application to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation that is similar to other college applications. It asked for activities, honors, a personal essay, and academic interests,” said Kellogg.
Leading up to the SAT or ACT standardized tests can be exceedingly stressful for students, which is why these merit scholars did their best to prepare themselves for each section of the test.
“To prepare for the SAT, I took advantage of the full-length practice test tool and did a few practice tests one section at a time over the course of the month leading up to the testing date,” said Balhan.
The application SAT and ACT is taken on offer in-depth practice opportunities to students, allowing a comprehensive review of what may be on the test.
“I prepared for the SAT by taking the practice BlueBook exams. They were fairly similar to the actual test, and they got me well-prepared for the timing element. I also met with a tutor a few times, who gave me hints on test-taking skills and advice on how SAT questions were formatted,” said Kellogg.
Students can also take an SAT/ACT prep course run through the school. The class runs 3rd period first semester and 5th period 2nd semester. The course goes over test-taking strategies, most commonly missed questions, and can indicate areas of focus for students.
“We start by doing a practice test so students can see their scores without any practice, and then we break it down by section,” said OH ACT prep teacher. ”Then at the end of the semester, they will take another practice test just to see their scores- where they improved and where they still need to work on.”
“After high school, I plan to attend either Duke or Purdue University and major in mechanical engineering,” said Balhan. With so much academic talent and hard work behind them, our National Merit semifinalists look forward to a bright future, excited to apply to competitive programs.
Hello! I'm Fionnuala Quinn. I'm currently a senior at OHS and this is my third year of journalism. Apart from journalism, I am involved in Cross Country, Track and Field, Best Buddies, and horticulture club. I'm so thrilled to serve as EIC this year!
