On Sept. 16, 30 Hinsdale Central seniors among the 16,000 individuals from across the country were announced as 2023 National Merit Semifinalists.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation uses top scorers from the PSAT/NMSQT to be recognized and gain financial assistance through their scholarship programs. 

“The scholarship is an easy way for students to cut college costs based on their merit,” said Simmi Rajagopalan, commended senior.

The semifinalists will now have the opportunity to compete for the 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered in the spring.

“We had to write an essay as part of the application process in order to be considered to be a semifinalist,” said Nancy Wang, semifinalist and senior. “The essay was about an insight of a student’s life, similar to many college essays.” 

Alongside the announced semifinalists, 71 Hinsdale Central students have been named Commended Students by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. 

“I didn’t think about the scholarship before taking the PSAT, ” said Saint Luan, commended senior. “It’s cool that they automatically notice people with high scores.”

In February, over 15,000 Semifinalists will be notified that they have advanced to Finalist standing. High school principals are also notified and provided with a Certificate of Merit to present to each Finalist.

To access additional information about the National Merit Scholarship Program click here