National Merit is an organization that recognizes academically outstanding students. They do this through the PSAT scores of high school students who take the test their junior year.

Seven students from Parkway South who took the PSAT as juniors were acknowledged this year: Derek Berndt, Shane Blair, Sara Jackson, Alexander Kloppenburg, Sai Pinni, Kevin Sittser, and Rachel Zhang.

Counselor Stacy Morgan explained what scores get students recognized.

“They look at percentages from your state so it can fluctuate from year to year. Through these percentages, they distinguish three categories, Commended, Semifinalists, and Finalists,” said Morgan.

She also said that the National Merit program notifies the students a year after taking the test, so juniors who took the PSAT last year were notified this fall.

“If a students is named a Semifinalist their senior year, they can fill out an application to become a Finalist. It includes writing an essay and a counselor recommendation,” said Morgan.

There are also benefits that come with this title.

“National Merit can offer scholarships through that. Also, people know what National Merit is and understand it to be a big deal. The prestige, scholarships through National Merit, and the ability to get accepted into schools or get scholarships through them are the major benefits,” said Morgan.

This year’s Semifinalists studied for the PSAT in different ways.

“I took [the PSAT] as a sophomore and I took a practice test. Review and practice is what I believe,” said Senior Shane Blair.

Despite how well these students did, many were not totally confident about how they performed.

“I felt like the changes were really slim. I didn’t expect it,” said Senior Sai Pinni.

Senior Sara Jackson said she was confident on some parts but not others.

“When I finished it I thought I did pretty good but I had some worries,” said Jackson.

Another Semifinalist was senior Alex Kloppenburg.

“I wasn’t sure. I felt sketchy on some questions, and I didn’t know if I did well,” he said.

However, Blair said that the PSAT and tests like it are not about the information  you can learn or remember.

“These tests aren’t about what you know but what you can do in the time allotted,” said Blair.

Many people, including teachers at Parkway South, have influenced these Semifinalists throughout their academic careers.

“[Susan] Scott and [Nicole] Daniels. I felt like I really learned in their class. They made me a better thinker,” said Pinni.

Jackson said her teachers during her junior year challenged her.

“Last year, my classes started to get really intense. Mr. Timmons was the first English teacher to make me enjoy English class. He would go through and analyze the book. He showed me how to analyze literature. Also, Mrs. Scott in AP Chem pushed me to make connections I never made before and made me remember the information better,” said Jackson.

Blair had a different experience.

“The person that influenced me the most was actually a mentor that I worked with over the summer. He showed me the intricate parts of research,” said Blair.

These seniors also had words of advice for other high school students taking the PSAT or any other standardized test.

“Practice as much as you can. If you get to a hard question, skip it. For the PSAT, they split up the easy and hard sections. Come back to the questions later,” said Blair.  

Pinni said there are more factors that determine how well you do that are not dependent on how much you know.

“The best way to practice is to just take it and learn the format. Also, you have to be healthy. Eat well and sleep; take care of your body. I believe that your attitude and mindset are really important in taking a test,” said Pinni.

Jackson also said that you want to fill in answers for as many questions as possible.

“If you don’t know an answer, fill in a random bubble and put a star by it. Come back to it later if you have time. Don’t be afraid to guess,” said Jackson.

When asked about their plans after high school, while some do not yet know what school they plan to attend, these Semi-Finalists have an idea about what they want to study.

“I want to study either Chemistry or Biochemistry,” said Blair.

Like Blair, Jackson plans to major in a science based field.

“Major – biomedical engineering. And I am looking at the University of Wisconsin Med,” said Jackson.

Pinni also wants to major in the medical field.

“I’m weighing my options as far as colleges go, but I want to go into pre-med,” said Pinni.