Senior Annie Oh has qualified as a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship Program.

This year 50,000 students with the highest Preliminary SAT (PSAT) selection index scores were eligible for the program. Students took the PSAT at the beginning of their junior year in high school. Those students are notified in September of senior year if they are  commended students or semifinalists.

Approximately 16,000 students are finalists and will now compete for a National Merit Scholarship.

Senior Annie Oh said, “I was very happy and grateful to my parents because they helped motivate me to do my best and paid for all this to happen. I am really happy that I am receiving 2,000 dollars that will cover the cost of my books for college.”

In the last 10 years the Academy has had several seniors reach finalist or semifinalist status.

College Counselor, Randall Fong, said, “It is a great achievement and honor since only the top 1 percent of students are named semifinalist or finalist out of 1.5 million eligible students nationwide. Besides the National Merit scholarship consideration, a finalist or semifinalist may also receive a scholarship from colleges based on their scholarship recognition.”