Earlier this week, it was announced that six seniors at Robinson are moving forward in the competition for a National Merit Scholarship: Jonah Chad, Vanessa Fermin, Annika Holmstrom, Anders Johnson, Catherine Liu and Carly Long.

To qualify for the scholarship, one must take the PSAT/NMSQT, be enrolled as a high school student and attend a high school in the United States, District of Columbia or a U.S. commonwealth and territory.

This isn’t the first time that Robinson has been associated with the organization; the school had multiple semifinalists and finalists each year.

Becoming a semifinalist is a huge accomplishment, and it takes work. Not only does the competition offer a chance at free tuition, it also looks good on college applications.

“I’m really excited that all my hard work paid off and that the colleges I’m applying to will be able to see that I put a lot of dedication into studying for the SAT and PSATs,” Annika Holmstrom (’19) said.

Something that makes the National Merit Scholarship stand out from other scholarships is the financial aspect. While others may only pay a small portion of tuition under certain conditions, some schools grant National Merit Scholars a full ride.

As for what it takes, both studying and mindset are important.

A good way to ensure the best test scores possible is by using Khan academy to practice your strengths and improve on your weaknesses, as doing this can make or break your scores. Putting into consideration all of the sections in the test and what their main focus on is another great way to study effectively.

“The English section is definitely the most important in that most people miss most parts of the English section,” Johnson said.

For students who hope to achieve the same goal, the semifinalists recommend studying efficiently. Most importantly, this opportunity will provide a benefit for their futures.

“National merit scholar is a big thing on resumes for college, even after college, on internships or business applications, it carries a lot of weight,” Johnson said.