Two seniors from Mt. Juliet High School have achieved an exceptional milestone by being named Semi-Finalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Hussein Mousa and Vaughn O'Neil were announced as the Semi-Finalists at MJHS for the 2024-2025 school year.
This prestigious recognition places them among more than 16,000 students nationwide who have qualified due to their outstanding performance on the PSAT, a key factor in the selection process.
“This is a huge deal for Mt. Juliet High School and a huge deal for these two gentlemen," Mr. Ryan Hill, MJHS Principal, said. "It is a combination of grades, behavior, and a bunch of different things these two have excelled at Mt. Juliet High School, and we are extremely proud of them.”
Mousa and O'Neil’s accomplishment reflects not only their academic excellence but also their dedication and commitment to achieving high scores on this competitive exam.
Their success now opens the door for them to compete in the next stage of the program, where approximately 6,870 National Merit Scholarships, totaling nearly $28 million, will be awarded to students across the country.
Bear News Network (BNN) provided live coverage. Riley Sherman documented the event for school social media.
Background on National Merit Semi-Finalists
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955.
It is based on students' performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), typically taken in the junior year of high school.
Each year, approximately 1.5 million students enter the competition by taking the PSAT, but only around 16,000 of those students qualify as Semi-Finalists.
Semifinalists represent the top 1% of high school seniors in the United States. Their PSAT scores are among the highest in their respective states, reflecting their academic capabilities.
Each state is allotted a proportional number of Semi-Finalists based on its percentage of the total national graduating seniors. This ensures a broad geographic distribution of recipients.
To advance to the Finalist stage, Semi-Finalists must meet additional requirements, including submitting a detailed scholarship application, maintaining a high academic record, writing an essay, and earning SAT or ACT scores that confirm their PSAT performance.
Approximately 15,000 Semi-Finalists advance to become Finalists, and from that group, about 6,870 students are awarded National Merit Scholarships.
Being named a National Merit Semi-Finalist is a significant academic honor that can open doors for college admissions and scholarship opportunities.
Many colleges and universities offer additional scholarships to students recognized in the program, making it an important milestone for high-achieving students.
Comments