In a remarkable achievement, Westlake High School has announced that 27 of its students have been named National Merit Semifinalists for the 2024-25 academic year.
This recognition, awarded by the National Merit Scholarship Program, is given to less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, highlighting the exceptional academic achievements of these young scholars.
The students are Morgan Brew, Lucille Brown, Shu Ying Chong, Cynthia Cui, Yuan Dong, Andrew Han, Declan Howell, Nathan Huang, Aditya Jas, Shrey Jha, Aahan Kar, Devan Kuppusamy, Keith LoboPrabhu, Zoe Lynch, Aliana Marakovic, Pramila Premkishore, Miller Roberts, Riya Sahu, James Seidel, Vidhur Seshadri, Clara Smyth, Aman Sulaiman, Akash Vasan, Millen Wadhwa, Noah Wong, Natalie Yung, and Joseph Zhang. These students demonstrated outstanding performance on the qualifying test.
The National Merit Scholarship Program is renowned for its rigorous selection process. Semifinalists are chosen based on their performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which assesses critical reading, math problem-solving, and writing skills.
As these talented students bask in their current success, they now face the challenge of advancing to the finalist level. To achieve this, they must maintain an excellent academic record throughout their high school career. Additionally, they need to secure an endorsement from their school principal and submit SAT scores that corroborate their exceptional performance on the qualifying test.
The journey from semifinalist to finalist is a testament to the students' consistent academic excellence and dedication. It also underscores the importance of a supportive educational environment that nurtures and cultivates such talent.
The Westlake High School community eagerly awaits the announcement of the finalists, which is scheduled for February 2025. This next stage will determine which students will have the opportunity to compete for prestigious National Merit Scholarships. These scholarships not only provide financial support for college education but also open doors to numerous academic and career opportunities.