Two Students Declared Finalists for National Merit Scholarship

Seniors Phillip Hyon and Nathan Oh advanced from semi-finalists to finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program.

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The National Merit Scholarship program aims to reward high-achieving high school students through scholarships. 

By Kayla Lee and Mhar Tenorio

Seniors Nathan Oh and Phillip Hyon advanced as finalists in the National Merit Scholarship program last week. 

The National Merit Scholarship program aims to reward high-achieving high school students through scholarships. 

To be a National Merit Scholar, students must take the Preliminary SAT/NMSQT test their junior year. Out of about the 1.6 million juniors who take the test, students who score in the top 1% in the nation are named semifinalists. Semifinalists then fulfill requirements to advance as finalists.

Oh and Hyon are part of over 15,000 students who qualified as finalists. About half of the finalists will be named National Merit Scholars later this year. 

“I feel like my success proved that the SAT system is fair, because I didn’t take any SAT classes, just worked hard from elementary to high school,” Hyon said. 

“I’m just really glad that both of us were able to make it ,” Oh said.