2025 National Merit Semifinalists

Sept. 11, 2024

ROGERS, Ark. -  Four Rogers Public Schools students have earned the distinguished title of National Merit Semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship program: Alexander D. Ford-Wutzke (RHS), John B. Harrison (RHS), Deven V. Nguyen (RHS) and Jackson W. Seabolt.

Over 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen for program entrants. After that test, more than 16,000 students were selected as National Merit Semifinalists. Those selected represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors.

The four RPS seniors can continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth about $26 million that will be offered next spring. Nationwide, about 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win National Merit Scholarships, earning the Merit Scholar title.

To become a finalist, the students and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

The students are in competition for one of 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth a total of nearly $26 million. About 95% of semifinalists will gain finalist standing, and another half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 280 business organizations, higher education institutions, and individual donors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

National Merit Semifinalists