how to write the national merit scholarship essay

Jeff Widman

I enjoy hacking/optimizing systems. currently working as a software engineer focused on infrastructure/plumbing. founded/sold two companies., the magical 4.0–national merit finalist essay.

When I was a junior in highschool, I had to write a 500 word essay as part of the process of becoming a National Merit Finalist (remember the PSAT?). This is still o still one of my favorites:

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The Magical 4.0

As I walked to the front of the class and began to read, I found it impossible to think; I could only read each word one at a time. It was the last day of finals, and I was presenting my narrative project to my English class. Only four days earlier, my dreams had been shattered. I had lost my 4.0. Struggling for an “A” throughout the quarter, it had come down to the very last test; I needed to get a 98. When the teacher returned my test, an 89.5 glared in red at the top of the page. Even more painful was the inner questioning that had immediately followed. My narrative project became my analytical tool as I struggled to make sense of my loss. Re-telling the event in the third-person, I shoved my emotions aside and asked the questions I previously had not dared to face.

As the quarter had progressed everything else had faded except this goal of maintaining my 4.0. Every spare moment had been spent studying Chemistry, or revising my World Literature essay. My friends had become strangers. Because I had been consistently going to bed after midnight, my performance in Track had suffered–I no longer had any chance of running in the State meet.

But how could I distill this experience into a narrative? Could I adequately describe the effort that had gone into my 4.0, or how close I had come to getting an A, only to see it pulled just out of my reach on the very last test? Would my audience even care? Would they understand how hard I worked for perfection, how I expected perfection–how I was used to perfection? Would they understand what it meant to lose perfection?

I labored over my narrative to shorten it–every time I started typing it would just grow and grow. The ending was the biggest challenge; it wasn’t until I started typing the last paragraph that I came up with the idea of a happy-ever-after ending, the ending I almost had, where I scored a 99 instead of an 89.5.

Not until after my presentation, as I shared my reflections on the experience, did I reveal to the class that I had really gotten the 89.5. Afterward my English professor would write, “This was one of my favorite moments of last year, Jeff. Maybe best of all was the brilliant move to have the ending different than what actually happened in your life, and then reveal that ‘real’ ending in your comments. The entire room was transfixed by your revelation; I could feel it. You both criticized yourself and elevated yourself by so bravely doing that.”

The contrast between the two endings–the dream and the reality–underscored what my narrative project had made me realize was my only question: Had I overvalued perfection? Even if I had achieved the 99, would my 4.0 have been worth so much sacrifice?

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National Merit Scholarship Program Explained

Below we cover the the most frequently asked questions about the National Merit Scholarship Program. Please see our National Merit Semifinalist Cutoffs page for the latest information on actual and projected Selection Index cutoffs by state.

What is the National Merit Scholarship Program and how do you enter? The NMSP is a program administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in cooperation with the College Board to recognize high achieving high school seniors. Some recognition levels are based purely on junior PSAT/NMSQT scores, while other levels have additional qualifications (explained below). The NMSC gives out approximately $50 million in scholarships each year, and some colleges provide lowered —or even free —tuition to recognized students, multiplying the net impact of National Merit severalfold.

You must take the PSAT/NMSQT as a high school junior and either attend high school in the United States or U.S. Territories or be a U.S. student studying abroad. On your PSAT score report, you will see a section with your Selection Index and how you answered the questions about your entry eligibility. If there is an asterisk next to your Selection Index, it means that NMSC believes that you are ineligible.

What if I couldn’t take the PSAT? Every year students miss the PSAT for legitimate reasons such as illness. To allow those students the opportunity to compete in National Merit, NMSC has a process known as alternate entry . Students must make a written request to NMSC for an alternate entry application form. The application itself must be signed off on by your principal or counselor and postmarked no later than April 1 after the missed PSAT/NMSQT.

What is the Selection Index? The Selection Index is a weighting of your PSAT component scores to determines the level of your recognition within the initial stages of the National Merit program.

How is the Selection Index calculated? The Selection Index is double the sum of your Reading and Writing (RW) score, and Math score divided by 10. Alternatively, you can simply drop the last zero on your section scores, double the RW and add the Math. For example, a student with scores of 690 RW and 720 M would have a Selection Index of 69 x 2 + 72 = 210. You cannot directly calculate a Selection Index from a Total Score (320 – 1520). For students entering the competition with an SAT score through Alternate Entry, note that — when calculating a Selection Index — each SAT section is capped at 760. If, for example, you have a 700 RW and 800 Math, your Selection Index would be 70 x2 + 76 = 216.

Why is the Reading and Writing twice as important as the Math? The emphasis on “verbal” skills has a long history with the NMSP. The digital PSAT no longer has separate Reading and Writing scores, but the RW score is still doubled.

I’ve already received my PSAT scores; how can I find out whether I will qualify for recognition? Although you can use the Compass projections to estimate whether you are likely to qualify as a Commended Student or Semifinalist, there is no way of knowing your official status until high schools are notified by NMSC in early September of your senior year (sometimes schools hear by late August). Compass has published the cutoffs for the class of 2024 and estimates for the class of 2025 . An historical archive dating back more than 15 years can be found here . The Commended cutoff for future classes becomes unofficially known in the April after the PSAT. Compass will report this score and how it may impact Semifinalist cutoffs on our regularly updated cutoffs post.

Will I qualify as a Semifinalist if I am in the 99th percentile for Selection Index according to my score report? Although approximately 1% of test takers will become Semifinalists, there are a number of reasons why percentile scores are far too inaccurate to determine eligibility. Even the state percentiles that are now on the digital SAT report do not have enough information, because they are actually based on the prior 3 years of scores. Further, the percentile is rounded, and not accurate enough to determine cutoffs.

Why do some states have more Semifinalists and Finalists than other states? Although Commended Scholars are honored based on a single, national cutoff, NMSC distributes Semifinalists proportionally to states (and District of Columbia and U.S. Territories) based on the number of graduating students in the state. For example, California sees approximately 2,100 Semifinalists each year—the most in the country. It gets 13% of Semifinalists because it produces approximately 13% of high school graduates. Mississippi, on the other hand, typically sees about 135 National Merit Semifinalists, because the state produces a bit more than 0.8% of U.S. graduates. The distribution is completely unrelated to the number of students taking the PSAT in the state.

Why are Semifinalist cutoffs so much higher in some states than in others? Two things that have impact on cutoffs are participation rates and demographics. In some states, ACT is the dominant test and not as many students take the PSAT. This leaves some students out of the competition and will tend to produce lower cutoffs. Some states have large pockets of extremely qualified students and are particularly competitive. For example, Massachusetts and New Jersey have class of 2024 cutoffs of 222 and 223, respectively. At the other end of the spectrum, North Dakota, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming had NMSF cutoffs of 207 for the class of 2024. The minimum Semifinalist cutoff for a state is the national Commended level. If, for example, the Commended cutoff is at 210, no state can have a Semifinalist cutoff less than 210.

How are Semifinalists set for homeschoolers, boarding school students, or U.S. students studying abroad? Homeschoolers are treated no differently than other students in a state. U.S. students studying abroad will have to meet the highest state cutoff in the country. For the class of 2024, that was 223. Boarding school cutoffs are the most complex to calculate. Instead of being set at the state level, they are determined regionally. A Northeast boarding school student, for example, must meet the highest cutoff of any state within the Northeast region. NMSC defines boarding schools as schools with predominantly out-of-state students. NMSC considers your state to be where you went to school when you took the PSAT, not your state of residency or the state of your new school.

Do I have to be a U.S. citizen to participate? NMSC has made this part of the process easier to understand than it was in the past. Students at high school in the U.S. or in U.S. Territories are eligible. Period. Students studying abroad are eligible as long as they are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents of the U.S. (“green card”) or or have applied for permanent residence (the application for which has not been denied) and intend to become U.S. citizens at the earliest opportunity allowed by law.

Will NMSC notify me if I become a Semifinalist? No. NMSC provides information only to schools until a student becomes a Finalist. Homeschoolers are the exception.

When will my school tell me? NMSC mails information to schools in late August. Some schools let students know their status in early September. Many schools wait until NMSC officially releases student names to the press in the second week of September. Compass will track all of the latest news on our Semifinalists cutoff page.

Will being a Semifinalist help get me into my first-choice college? While Semifinalist status is a nice award to list on your application, you should not expect it alone to have a significant impact on your admission chances at most colleges. The recognition tells college that you did well on the PSAT. Your SAT and ACT scores are far more important to colleges; your National Merit status does not add much new information. However, having a high number of enrolled Semifinalists is seen as a badge of honor at some colleges and will factor in their admission decisions. Some colleges have programs specifically to attract National Merit Finalists and offer large merit awards.

Do I need to take the SAT to become a Semifinalist? No. Commended Student and Semifinalist recognition are based only on your Selection Index and your entry eligibility.

What happens after I am named a Semifinalist? Semifinalists will receive login credentials for the Finalist application portal. You will need to provide background information and an essay. Your school will need to provide its recommendation and electronically submit your application in the second week of October,

What is the National Merit Finalist essay prompt? NMSC may change the prompt in future years, but it has been the same for many years. It is broad enough that most students are able to use or slightly rework their Common App essay. For the class of 2024, the prompt was:

“To help the reviewers get to know you, describe an experience you have had, a person who has influenced you, or an obstacle you have overcome. Explain why this is meaningful to you. Use your own words and limit your response to the space provided.”

There is not a word limit specified, but the essay must fit within the provided space (approximately 3500 characters). Expect to keep your essay to 600 – 650 words.

Do I need to take the SAT or ACT to become a Finalist? Among the requirements to proceed from Semifinalist to Finalist is that you receive a “confirming score.” This score helps validate that you can, on an official SAT or ACT test date, achieve a high score and confirm your testing skill.

Can a high ACT score be a confirming score? Yes, the ACT can be used to confirm PSAT results.

How high of an SAT score do I need for a confirming score? The confirming score is determined each year by NMSC and is calculated in the same way as the PSAT Selection Index. The confirming score is set nationally, so it does not matter what Semifinalist cutoff you met. The confirming SAT Selection Index (SSI) generally falls at or near the Commended cutoff.

The easiest calculation of the SSI is from your section scores. Drop a zero, double your RW, and add your Math score. For example, Student X might have a total score of 1450, with section scores of 720 RW and 730 M. Student X’s SSI would be 2(72) + 73 = 217. It’s possible for a student with a lower total score to have a higher SSI. Student Y has a total score of 1430, with section scores of 750 ERW and 690 M. Student Y’s SSI would be 2(75) + 69 = 219.

You cannot determine your SSI directly from your total score. One student scoring 1400 might have a high enough SSI, whereas another student with a 1400 might fall short. You must know your RW and Math scores.

How high of an ACT score do I need for a confirming score? NMSC wants to have a level playing field, so it converts components of the ACT score into an SAT Selection Index. In order to do that, you need to use the official concordance tables published by ACT/College Board. There is no SAT Science, so NMSC does not look at ACT Science. So discard that score.

Step 1: Add your ACT English and ACT Reading scores Step 2: Use the ACT E+R to SAT RW concordance table to find the concordant SAT RW score based on the sum in step 1. Be sure that you are going in the correct direction when using the concordance tables. ACT E+R to SAT RW is not always the same as SAT RW to ACT E+R. Step 3: Use the ACT M to SAT M table to find the concordant SAT M score based on your ACT Math score. Step 4: Calculate your SAT SI: drop the last zeros (i.e. divide by 10), double your RW, and add your Math score. You want this number to be at least as high as your class year’s Commended Student score.

Example: A student has ACT scores of 32E, 34M, 33R, and 31S. Science is not used. The sum of E and R is 65. In the concordance tables, this is equivalent to a 700 RW. The 34 Math is concordant to a 760. This student’s SAT Selection Index is 70×2 + 76 = 216.

When do I have to take the SAT or ACT for the score to be ‘confirmed’? You can use any SAT or ACT score from the fall of your sophomore year to December of your senior year. This means that you could have received an SAT confirming score even before taking the PSAT/NMSQT. NMSC recommends that you not wait until the December test date.

How do I submit scores to NMSC? NMSC does not automatically know your SAT and ACT scores. You must submit them just as you would to a college. The College Board code for NMSC is 0085. The ACT code is 7984. Please verify these codes before submitting. Since NMSC will use your highest scores, there is no penalty for choosing them as one of your free score recipients when you register for the SAT or ACT.

Can I superscore SAT or ACT dates in order to reach the confirming score cutoff? No. NMSC will use your highest scores, but will not superscore across test dates.

If I have achieved a confirming score, is there any reason to shoot for a higher score? The requirement for a confirming score is simply true or false when applying to become a Finalist. However, your test scores are used to evaluate you during the scholarship phase of the competition. Depending on your goals, you may want to optimize your score.

Can sophomores qualify for National Merit recognition? No. Even if your scores are high enough, you will not be eligible for National Merit as a sophomore unless you will be graduating a year early. In that case, you should contact NMSC or your principal about next steps as NMSC has no way of automatically knowing your eligibility.

Is it hard for a Semifinalist to become a Finalist? Of the 16,000 Semifinalists, 15,000 become Finalists. You must go through an application process to proceed to Finalist level and then to compete for National Merit Scholarships. As part of the application, you must meet citizenship requirements, have a satisfactory academic record, achieve a confirming score on the SAT or ACT (and submit the scores to NMSC!), write an essay, and receive a recommendation from your principal. More information can be found in the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide . In the Semifinalist letter from your school (it will NOT come from NMSC unless you are homeschooled), NMSC will provide details about how to begin the process online.

When will I find out if I am a Finalist? You will be notified in February of senior year.

Do all Finalists receive scholarships? What is a National Merit Scholar? Only about half of Finalists become National Merit Scholars and receive a National Merit Scholarship. There are three types of scholarships for Finalists, each with its own criteria. A student can only receive one type of scholarship. Approximately 4,000 Finalists receive scholarships from sponsoring colleges with renewable stipends of $500–$2,500 per year. Students must be accepted by a sponsoring institution and list the college as first choice in order to receive a college-sponsored award. These awards are not transferable to another college. Corporations sponsor approximately 1,000 awards for Finalists each year with a minimum one-time value of $2,500 or $1,000 renewable. Most of these awards are to Finalists who are the children of employees. Approximately 2,500 students receive awards of $2,500 directly from National Merit. These awards are highly competitive and are allocated proportionally by state. A list of sponsoring colleges and corporations can be found in the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide .

I’ve heard about colleges that provide full-ride awards. Why are college-sponsored awards only listed as $500–$2,500 per year? Colleges can also choose to provide additional awards to National Merit Finalists. These are not technically National Merit Scholarships, but they can be the most important awards for many students. Which colleges offer these awards and how much they offer can change from year to year. In recent years, Florida has had a generous scholarship program for National Merit Finalists, and schools such as UT-Dallas and Texas A&M also provide substantial awards. Compass does not maintain a database of scholarships. The National Merit forum at collegeconfidential.com is a useful resource.

Are scholarships available to Commended Students and Semifinalists? Technically, these students cannot be National Merit Scholars, but approximately 1,100 of them will receive Special Scholarships from sponsoring corporations. As with other corporate-sponsored awards, these are predominantly for the children of employees, although companies can also identify students in a particular region or field of study.

When will I find out if I receive a scholarship? You will be notified of scholarship status sometime between March and June of your senior year. In order to receive a college-sponsored scholarship, you must note the college as your first choice on the National Merit application. It can be to your advantage not to immediately choose a first-choice college—you can leave it as “Undecided.” You do not want to miss out on a large scholarship because you have listed the wrong college. There is no reason to list a college that does not provide National Merit Scholarships. List your first-choice among college that do provide scholarships. You can update your choice via the Online Scholarship Application portal.

About Art Sawyer

Art graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University, where he was the top-ranked liberal arts student in his class. Art pioneered the one-on-one approach to test prep in California in 1989 and co-founded Compass Education Group in 2004 in order to bring the best ideas and tutors into students' homes and computers. Although he has attained perfect scores on all flavors of the SAT and ACT, he is routinely beaten in backgammon.

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Hello! I had a question about Alternative Entry. If a student took the PSAT/NMSQT as a 10th grader (as practice, with the rest of his class), would this then disqualify him from using the “Alternative Entry” method in 11th grade? I realize that to do Alternative Entry you can’t already taken the PSAT– but I wasn’t sure if that applied to just PSATs in junior year, when kids are eligible for entering the National Merit competition. [For clarification- I’m sure the test that the kids took was the PSAT/NMSQT, and NOT the PSAT 10.] Thank you!

Steph, Only the junior year PSAT/NMSQT serves as a qualifier for National Merit. The sophomore year test your student took is, therefore, irrelevant. The Alternate Entry process specifically applies to students who are unable to take the 11th grade PSAT.

Hi Art, For a 10th grader, would you recommend taking PSAT/NMSQT or SAT given that to qualify for NMSC, the child would have to re-take PSAT/NMSQT again in junior year.

Vivek, There is not a right or wrong answer here. Normally I would recommend that a student go ahead and take the PSAT. It’s convenient; it’s very similar to the digital SAT. That last part is important. If the student’s testing career is going to extend beyond this December (and that’s true for virtually all sophomores), they will be taking the digital SAT. If your student wants to get in a paper SAT, they have until December. For all but a very small number of sophomores, that seems like overkill. A fall sophomore is unlikely to be at a point where they’ll get a final score (the exception would be students already well into the 1500s). And it doesn’t have a practice benefit because the paper SAT is almost gone. So my soft recommendation would be to go ahead and take the PSAT.

1. For the students who got selected to semi-finalists, they need to submit only one school of their choice (one of the questions) in the NMSQT finalist application – does the public/private school choice make a difference in getting the Corporate/NMSQT awards? 2. Do the parents need to be an employee of the Corporate Sponsors to receive any awards under the corporate awards category?

Thank you in advance. Best,

Neelahm, If a Semifinalist becomes a Finalist and has listed a school that sponsors National Merit, NMSC will generally match the student with a school award. If the student’s first choice is not a sponsor, then they will be eligible for a corporate or NMSC award. The student’s first choice school can be updated through April, I believe, but the matching process starts in March.

Most corporate awards are for the children of employees. You can find more info here on page 10 of the Student Guide .

English Learners cannot take the NMSQT w/accommodations such as “extended time”; the system does not allow them. Is this a true statement?

Synde, That is a true statement. There is no accommodation specifically for English Learners on the PSAT, SAT, or ACT as far as I am aware.

Hello Art If my ACT is 35 & translates to 228/230 ( twice taken ) and SAT is (229) , which do you think should I submit? Also if I do ACT should I just submit the superscore as it will include both. Would you also be able to chime in with regards to colleges which would be a better option to send SAT ( 1530 ) or ACT (35 both times) ?

As always thank you so much for your time & help Best MaryAnn

Mary Ann, Both your SAT and ACT are so strong that it doesn’t matter for National Merit which one you provide. Those scores are only used as a minimum qualifying standard — the “confirming score.” They are not used in the competition itself.

It’s very much a toss-up for colleges. As a single point to point concordance, a 35 is equivalent to a 1540. In the other direction, a 1530 is concordant with a 35. You might say that the ACT is ever so slightly stronger.

Thank you so much for your kind help and time! Best !

My son is in his junior year and he has an SAT score of 1570 and a PSAT score of 1460. Do you think he has a chance to qualify to become a semi finalist for NMSQT Scholarship? Please let us know.

Thanks, Usha

Usha, Only his PSAT score matters for qualification as a Semifinalist. Actually, it’s the Selection Index that matters, not so much his 1460. The SI puts twice the weight on the Reading and Writing score. You’ll find his Selection Index on his score report. The cutoffs are determined by state. In some places he would probably qualify easily. In other states he might miss out. See our estimates in my other post here .

I wanted to ask if you know what the typical cutoffs for the National Merit African American, Hispanic recognition, Rural recognition typically are? I know they’ve been making some changes the past few years? I’m a tutor who’s going to be doing some pro bono work at a Title I school in our county for some of their top sophs this coming fall and the admin asked if i knew what the typical cutoffs are for those programs!

Love your blog!

MG, I wish I could be more helpful here, but College Board doesn’t release the figures — at least not en masse. The cutoffs are set by state, and student must be in the top 10% of scores (they can also qualify via AP scores). You might want to call College Board and ask about your state.

Thank you for the kind words, and thank you for helping students in your local area!

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How to Win a National Merit Scholarship

National Merit Scholarship: Exploring how to become a National Merit Scholar!

The path to covering the cost of college can be confusing and stressful. Between navigating financial aid and applying for scholarships for college, there’s a lot to keep track of. We want to make the process of finding merit-based scholarships as straightforward as possible. 

If you’re reading this article, then you already know the National Merit Scholarship can be a great option for making the cost of college more affordable. But how do you become one of the National Merit Scholarship winners? 

In this guide to National Merit Scholarships, we’ll break down:

What is the national merit scholarship.

• National Merit Scholarship requirements

What is a merit-based scholarship?

• Starting your scholarship search to find other scholarships for college
• Optimizing your odds of becoming a National Merit Scholar with your PSAT score
• National Merit Scholarship colleges, and more

The National Merit Scholarship is a great starting place for your scholarship search . In fact, most students qualify for this scholarship without even realizing it. As such, it can be a great first step to looking for scholarships for college.

For starters: what is a National Merit Scholarship, and why is it different from other scholarships for college?

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic program that awards scholarships to high-achieving high school students across the nation. The National Merit Scholarship amount is $2,500 for each of the National Merit Scholarship winners. 

National Merit Scholarship requirements are based on a student’s PSAT/NMSQT. Students usually take this exam in their junior year of high school.

Each year, 1.5 million students enter the competition to become National Merit Scholars. Of these students, approximately 7,250 will receive National Merit Scholarships.

You may have heard the phrases “merit scholarship” or “merit-based scholarships” tossed around as you begin your scholarship search. This begs the question: what is a merit-based scholarship?

Unlike need-based scholarships, which are awarded based on demonstrated financial need , merit-based scholarships are awarded based on talent or merit. They can be determined by academic merit—like high GPA —athletic merit, or any category where students have demonstrated excellence. On occasion, a merit scholarship will also take financial need into account, though this is less common.

The National Merit Scholarship is one such merit scholarship, awarded primarily based on PSAT scores. While the National Merit Scholarship is provided by a private, not-for-profit organization, many merit-based scholarships are given out by universities. 

These scholarships vary in size, from a few hundred dollars to the full cost of college tuition . Merit-based scholarships can greatly help to offset the cost of college. 

How do I get merit-based scholarships?

The National Merit Scholarship evaluates prospective National Merit Scholars via multiple elimination rounds. The first round is based solely on PSAT scores, with the highest scorers progressing to the next round of evaluation. A semi-finalist must then meet other academic requirements in order to advance to become a National Merit finalist. 

National Merit Scholarship requirements for finalists entail: 

• Enrollment in the final year of high school, with plans to enroll full-time in college the following fall
• Endorsement from your high school principal
• A record of high academic performance
• A completed National Merit Scholarship Application, including the submission of an essay
• An SAT or ACT score demonstrating continued excellence

The National Merit Scholarship program provides more information about qualifying to become a National Merit Scholar here . 

This is one example of the evaluation process for merit-based scholarships for college. As you continue your scholarship search, you will see different processes unique to each merit scholarship. 

Each merit-based scholarship emphasizes distinct qualities in its applicants. For example,  excellence at an instrument , mastery of an art form, or a high-achieving GPA. Each merit scholarship also involves its own set of requirements. Some selection processes involve essays and other application components while others do not. 

When you research scholarships for college, explore individual academic scholarship requirements, application requirements, and extracurricular requirements for each merit scholarship. This will give you the best odds of winning a merit-based scholarship and offsetting the cost of college. 

You can learn more about identifying and applying for a merit scholarship from this CollegeAdvisor webinar . 

How many National Merit Scholars are there?

If you’re hoping to become a National Merit Scholar, it’s important to know your odds. 

There are several evaluation rounds involved in the selection of National Merit Scholars. The first round is comprised of high school students who submit a PSAT score (and who satisfy the other National Merit Scholarship requirements) via the PSAT/NMSQT exam taken each fall. This usually amounts to approximately 1.5 million entrants submitting PSAT scores. 

After PSAT scores have been calculated, the 50,000 applicants with the highest PSAT scores will qualify for recognition. Of these 50,000 students, 34,000 earn the title of “Commended Student.” However, that means those students will not become National Merit Scholars. The other 16,000, selected as the highest scorers of each state, are semi-finalists for the National Merit Scholarship. 

Around 15,000 of the 16,000 semifinalists will earn the title of “National Merit finalist.” Semifinalists can become National Merit finalists by demonstrating ability, skill, and accomplishment throughout the other National Merit Scholarship requirements. 

A finalist chances of winning

Ultimately, a National Merit finalist has about a 50% chance of being selected as a National Merit scholar. 7,250 finalists will become National Merit Scholars, receiving a National Merit Scholarship amount of $2,500 to help cover the cost of college. See the National Merit Scholarship’s FAQs for advice on progressing from being a National Merit finalist to one of the National Merit Scholarship winners.

Of the 1.5 million applicants who submitted a PSAT score, there are only 7,250 National Merit Scholarship winners. This means you have a 0.5% chance of becoming a National Merit Scholar, making this one of the most competitive merit-based scholarships. 

While only a National Merit Scholar receives the National Merit Scholarship amount of $2,500, even earning the title of National Merit finalist can help you attain other scholarships for college. In fact, many colleges identify as National Merit Scholarship colleges and offer a variety of financial awards to both finalists and scholars. Some of these National Merit Scholarship colleges even grant a full ride to finalists. A full-ride covers the entire cost of college!

What qualifies you to be a National Merit Scholar?

There are multiple rounds of qualifications and eliminations that you must beat to become a National Merit scholar. 

In order to become a semi-finalist, the most important requirement is your PSAT score. The PSAT, taken in your junior year, is the primary component in determining your eligibility as a National Merit Scholar. It’s important to submit strong PSAT scores in order to progress to semi-finalist standing.

Your PSAT scores are evaluated relative to the scores of other entrants in a given year. For this reason, it is very difficult to give cutoffs as to what score you should aim for, as the cutoff will vary from year to year. In addition, you must be one of the top scorers in your state in order to become a semi-finalist. Due to the variable nature of National Merit Scholarships, we recommend simply optimizing your own PSAT score, rather than aiming for a particular PSAT score. 

Aside from your PSAT scores, the National Merit Scholarship winners must show strong overall academic performance, gain an endorsement from their high school principal, and demonstrate various other accomplishments throughout high school.

The National Merit scholarship committee also weighs the following factors for a National Merit finalist: 

• The submission of a strong essay to the National Merit Scholarship application
• An SAT or ACT score consistent with the applicant’s PSAT score

Finally, a successful National Merit Scholar will be enrolled in their final year of high school with plans to attend college the following fall.

Note that prior to achieving semifinalist status, only your PSAT score matters. Once you are a National Merit finalist, other factors—such as your GPA and accomplishments—become relevant factors in determining your eligibility.

Review more tips from U.S. News on submitting a strong application to become a National Merit Scholar.

How do you become a National Merit finalist?

National Merit Scholarships are a fantastic option for offsetting the cost of college. This is especially true considering most high school students already take the PSAT , which is the primary means of determining eligibility for this merit scholarship. As such, it is important to optimize your odds of becoming a National Merit finalist by doing well on the PSAT. 

So, the best way to boost your odds of becoming a National Merit Scholar is to maximize your PSAT score. Wondering how to excel at the PSAT?

Here are some of our top tips:

1. start early.

Standardized testing is a learned skill, and ample evidence suggests that studying for a standardized test is strongly correlated with higher scores. Therefore, the earlier you begin studying, and the more effort you put in, the more successful you will be. 

2. Practice for the PSAT

Familiarize yourself with the contents of the PSAT so that there are no surprises when you take the exam. You should also take advantage of the many practice tests available online. This will give you a sense of your base score, as well as where you have the most room for improvement.

3. Take the exam more than once

In order to be eligible for National Merit Scholarships, you must be in your junior year of high school when you take the PSAT. However, you can, and should, also take the PSAT in your sophomore year to get hands-on experience sitting for the exam. This will not impact your eligibility for the merit scholarship.

Putting in the time now will give you the best odds of becoming a National Merit finalist. And in case National Merit Scholarships aren’t motivation enough, the PSAT score is also a frequent factor amongst other academic scholarship requirements, so putting in the effort now can help you net several scholarships for college. 

Aside from the PSAT score, academic scholarship requirements for the National Merit Scholarship also include having a strong GPA. This matters less in the initial evaluation rounds, but if you hope to progress from being a National Merit finalist to a National Merit scholar, your grades will be a factor. Keep your grades high in order to optimize your chances both for this merit scholarship as well as other scholarships for college.

Merit-based scholarships for high school seniors

As you start the scholarship search, know that there are many more merit-based scholarships available to you outside of just National Merit Scholarships. There are also many resources available to you to inform your scholarship search. 

Organization-Sponsored Merit-Based Scholarships

Forbes provides a list of the most generous and prestigious merit-based scholarships and fellowships for high school seniors. This includes merit-based scholarships for students who:

• Excel in STEM fields or writing
• Volunteer or participate in public service
• Demonstrate academic merit and financial need, and more.

This list is a helpful one to start your scholarship search with. There are also many other assorted merit-based scholarships, including the Doodle for Google merit-based scholarship hosted by Google that awards money to students for submitting doodles for display on Google’s home page.

CollegeAdvisor.com also provides a webinar for finding merit-based scholarships as a domestic student. 

Finally, note that if you qualify as a National Merit finalist but are not selected as a National Merit Scholar, you will still benefit from this merit-based scholarship indirectly. While you will not receive the National Merit Scholarship amount of $2,500, there are many National Merit Scholarship colleges that award aid if you are a National Merit finalist. 

The University of Maine , University of South Florida , University of Alabama , and University of Oklahoma are just a few of several National Merit Scholarship colleges that offer full-ride tuition to any National Merit finalist who is accepted. So, even if you are not a National Merit Scholar, the National Merit Scholarships can still lower your cost of college.

Institution-Sponsored Merit-Based Scholarships

Another option to include in your scholarship search is scholarships for college that are provided by the colleges themselves. USC, for example, offers a generous merit-based scholarship to students who submit their applications by an earlier deadline. USC merit-based scholarships are awarded to about 2% of early applicants and range in award amount from a quarter of tuition to full tuition coverage. 

Vanderbilt also offers a merit-based scholarship for applicants to its Ingram Scholars program, Cornelius Vanderbilt Scholarship program, and Chancellor’s Scholarship program, among other additional merit-based scholarships. Unlike USC, Vanderbilt’s merit-based scholarships each have their own application process with corresponding supplemental essays. For help writing these essays, see CollegeAdvisor’s Vanderbilt essay guide .

Note that, unlike an organization’s merit-based scholarship, a college merit-based scholarship can only be used at the institution by which they are granted.

As you can see, there are dozens of merit-based scholarships to consider in your scholarship search. A merit-based scholarship is a great way to lower the cost of college, particularly for students who may not qualify for the amount of need-based aid that they require. 

National Merit Scholarship: Five tips for winning!

Becoming a National Merit Scholar is a fantastic way of starting your scholarship search as you prepare to transition to college. In fact, the National Merit Scholarships are one of the lowest-effort scholarships for college, as most high schools organize a school-wide proctoring of the PSAT. As such, we recommend doing whatever you can to optimize your chances of becoming a National Merit finalist. 

Here are our best tips for meeting the academic scholarship requirements of the National Merit Scholarship:

1. take practice tests for the psat.

One of the absolute best ways of optimizing a standardized test score is to study for it ahead of time. Your PSAT score is no different. You can find several practice exams via CollegeBoard and other online resources. Take these practice exams seriously, putting in the time to examine your strengths and weaknesses so that you can prepare as efficiently as possible. This is the best thing you can do to boost your odds of becoming a National Merit Scholar.

2. Optimize your GPA

Your GPA is going to be one of the most important academic scholarship requirements as you apply for scholarships for college. National Merit Scholarships are no different: your GPA is less of a factor than the PSAT scores in the first evaluation round, but if you hope to progress from National Merit finalist to National Merit Scholar, your GPA must be strong. Achieve this by taking challenging classes throughout high school and learning efficient study habits so that you earn high marks. 

3.  Write a great essay

If you are a semifinalist, the National Merit Scholarship selection team will ask you to write a 600-650 word essay as part of the application to become a National Merit Scholar. Most years, the prompt for this essay is broad enough that students can write about almost anything. Spend time thinking about your topic, and ensure that you are putting your best foot forward. The essay should be well-written, free of any mistakes, and should engage the reader. Treat this essay as if you were writing a supplemental essay for a college.

4. Excel on the SAT or ACT

If you are a finalist for the National Merit Scholarship, your SAT or ACT scores will become an additional factor in weighing your application. It’s important to study just as hard for these exams as you did for the PSAT, if not harder. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation will be looking for evidence that you have continued or improved your academic excellence since sitting for the PSAT. There are many, many resources available online to optimize your SAT or ACT scores.

5.  Enrich your life in other areas

If you want to become a National Merit Scholar, you will have to show accomplishment both in and out of the classroom. This can consist of other awards, achievements, and extracurriculars that demonstrate your standing as a well-rounded, high-achieving student. In addition, having more experience in other areas of your life will give you more to write about in your essay. In fact, as you continue your scholarship search, you will see that many scholarships for college are looking not just for academic achievement but also for evidence of strong character and an interesting set of activities beyond the classroom.

National Merit Scholarship- Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are a lot of factors to consider as you pursue the National Merit Scholarship and other scholarships for college. 

We know the National Merit Scholarship amount might not cover the full price of your tuition, but each scholarship you earn takes some of the burden off of the cost of college. We hope this guide will help give you the best possible chance of becoming a National Merit Scholar, and we wish you the best of luck.

This article was written by Becky Weinstein. If you want to get help with your college applications from CollegeAdvisor.com  Admissions Experts ,  register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.   Also, check out our other guides to  Merit-Based Scholarships as you embark on your college application journey!

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How to Write a National Merit Essay

Teresa j. siskin.

You’ve cleared the first hurdle once you’ve become a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship Competition. Continuing to compete as a finalist means completing an application, which includes an essay. While there is no one "correct” way to write this essay, you can help distinguish yourself from fellow semifinalists by offering a clear, concise 500-word piece that shares a perspective and leaves an impression.

Explore this article

• Structure and Inspiration

1 Structure and Inspiration

You can approach the National Merit Scholarship essay as you would any other scholarship essay. According to Kansas State University and Dr. Kay Peterson from the University of Florida, one way to structure your essay is to focus on a life altering or defining moment. Draw from a simple occurrence, such as falling off your bike as a small child or a book you read, or from a much more intense event, such as losing a home in a hurricane, as long as you relay what lesson you took from that experience. Use the introduction of your essay to recount this defining moment, and conclude with a thesis that summarizes how that event affected your outlook on life. Then, use your subsequent body paragraphs to highlight how this moment continues to affect your life personally or academically, and conclude by relating this experience to your goals for college, your desire for college scholarships, or your passion for becoming a National Merit Scholar. You can always ask others for help both in brainstorming for essay topics and in editing your final product.

• 1 University of Florida Office of Financial Aid: Writing the Scholarship Essay
• 2 Kansas State University: Writing Scholarship Essays

About the Author

Teresa J. Siskin has been a researcher, writer and editor since 2009. She holds a doctorate in art history.

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The Complete Guide: Becoming a National Merit Finalist

Years ago, I was a National Merit Commended Scholar. I forgot about that until today, when I dug up an old high school resume. In hindsight, nothing ever happened from that distinction.

Today, I’ll be breaking down the steps to becoming a National Merit Scholarship Finalist and the big question: is it even worth it to compete?

What is the National Merit Scholarship Program?

Simply put, National Merit Scholarship Finalists are students who’ve taken a standardized test at school during junior year, scored higher than almost everyone else, and gotten a scholarship as a reward for their performance.

The National Merit Scholarship Program manages all of this: the testing, the selection, and the scholarship distribution.

So let’s get down to the specifics.

What standardized test must I take to be a National Merit finalist?

It’s a test similar to the one that’s quickly losing relevance: the SAT. It’s so similar to the SAT that it’s called the PSAT, or “Preliminary” SAT. The PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test is shorter and easier than the SAT because it’s geared toward younger high schoolers. Both tests evaluate math and language arts.

Note: The PSAT 10 and PSAT/NMSQT are similar, but the PSAT 10 is taken in 10th grade to practice for the real SAT and the PSAT/NMSQT is taken in 11th grade to qualify for the National Merit Scholarships.

When and where can I take this PSAT/NMSQT?

October of junior year. If your school offers this test, you’ll hear about it from school. It costs $17 but most schools cover the entire test fee. If not, you’ll have to find a neighboring school that proctors it. Some schools will even ask students to go in-person to take it on a Saturday. Once you take the PSAT/NMSQT, your scores are automatically entered into the national competition. No need to apply separately.

How is the PSAT/NMSQT scored?

The PSAT score range is from 48 (lowest possible) to 228 (highest possible).

There are 3 sections: reading, math, and writing. Each of these sections are scored from 8 (lowest possible) to 38 (highest possible). To get your final qualifying score, you just add together the three scores from each of the three sections and multiple that number by 2.

For example, if you got a 30 on math, 31 on reading, and 32 on writing, your PSAT/NMSQT score will be (30 + 31+ 32) x 2 = 186.

What score do I need to qualify as a National Merit Semifinalist?

This number varies every year and it even varies by state. For Class of 2021, for example, students in California needed a 221 out of 228 to qualify. In New Jersey, 222. In North Dakota, 209.

that you wish you had years ago.

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I want to qualify for the $2,500 national merit scholarship. how do i know if i’m eligible.

It’s a multi-step process.

• You need to be a high school student with U.S. citizenship or lawful residency.
• You need to take the PSAT/NMSQT in October of junior year. If your school asks you to take it in sophomore year, that score won’t qualify you for the competition, unless you’re planning on graduating from high school as a junior.
• If you’re competing against 1.5 million test takers, you need to first make it to the Semifinalist round, which means the top 16k test scores. I can’t give you the exact score because the cutoff varies by year.
• You need to get your principal to endorse you by demonstrating a transcript with good grades and a real SAT score that’s close enough to your PSAT/NMSQT score.
• You need to write an essay and fill out a specific National Merit Finalist application.
• If your application is approved, you’ll be one of 15k finalists out of 16k semifinalists.
• Only 7,600 out of the 15k finalists get the $2,500 scholarship.

When do I get the scholarship?

If you take the PSAT/NMQST in October 2020, make it to the finalist round, and are selected to be one of the 7,600 recipients of the $2,500 scholarship, you’ll get the money in May 2022 right before college. So it takes about 18 months.

How does the National Merit Scholarship Corporation select winners?

Based on the latest data from 2021, among the 1.5 million competition entrants from the 2019 competition, 50k of the highest scores were recognized. Among those, there’s even more distinct recognition.

Commended: These are 34k of the 50k highest scores. These students do not advance to the next round. They get a “Letter of Commendation” a.k.a. a participation award. I was National Merit commended and I will just say that no one has ever cared about this. Not colleges, job interviewers, professors, or even my family friends.

Semifinalist: These are about 16k of the 50k highest scores. These students are eligible to advance to the next round to be considered a “Finalist.” The score cutoff to be a National Merit semifinalist varies by state and test takers are ranked by state.

Finalist: These are 15k of the 16k semifinalists whose submitted documentation get approved. To become a finalist, semifinalists must:

• take the real SAT and prove a similar score to their PSAT/NMSQT score
• get a recommendation and endorsement from their school principal
• fill out an additional application, the “National Merit Finalist Application”
• write an essay
• maintain a high GPA

Semifinalists receive a letter in the mail if they make it as a finalist and a “Certificate of Merit” printout.

Scholarship finalist: Only 7,600 of the 15k finalists receive the $2,500 scholarship. As long as they confirm they’ll be enrolled full-time in college after graduating from high school, the scholarship finalists get the funds around May of senior year, so over a year and a half after taking the test.

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Being named a Scholar is the highest academic recognition you can achieve from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) . It is a national distinction that puts you at the pinnacle of academic achievement.

To become a Scholar, you need to first become a Finalist. But not all Finalists win scholarships: only about 8,000 of 15,000 students win this award. In this article, we'll talk about what scholarships are available through the NMSC and what you need to do to get one.

What Are National Merit Scholarships? 3 Types

Around 1.6 million high school juniors take the PSAT/NMSQT each year. Only 16,000 students are named Semifinalists, and, after an extensive application process, just 15,000 win Finalist status .

If you haven't yet read our guides on the steps needed to become a Semifinalist or Finalist, check them out here: National Merit Semifinalist and National Merit Finalist .

Now that you know what it takes to win a National Merit scholarship, let's go over the three types of scholarships available, how much money they each give, and how Finalists can qualify for these scholarship awards and become National Merit Scholars.

#1: National Merit Scholarships

Every Finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program is considered for a National Merit Scholarship. Finalists are named Scholars (what the contest calls the scholarship winners) based on the strength of their applications.

National Merit Scholars typically have outstanding applications that demonstrate their academic commitment, extracurricular and community involvement, passion, and drive.

Your first-choice college is not a factor under consideration for National Merit Scholarships. In fact, the NMSC committee members don't even see this information.

National Merit Scholarships are awarded to only 2,500 Finalists, or about one in six Finalists . They're a one-time award of $2,500 and are not renewable throughout college.

#2: Corporate-Sponsored Merit Scholarships and Special Scholarships

The second type of scholarship offered by the NMSC is a corporate-sponsored scholarship. There are two types of corporate-sponsored scholarships that are available to students who enter the NMSC: corporate-sponsored merit scholarships, and corporate-sponsored special scholarships.

As is the case with National Merit Scholarships, Finalists are given automatic consideration for corporate-sponsored scholarships based on their applications and the information they provide about parental employment, intended majors, and career plans .

Most corporate sponsors give awards to students whose parents/guardians work for them . A small number award non-employee children scholarships if they indicate an interest in a major or career choice that the corporation wants to support.

Corporate-sponsored special scholarships are available to high-performing NMSC participants who do not reach Finalist status; Finalists are not eligible for these scholarships.

Recipients of corporate-sponsored special scholarships are also chosen based on parental employment, intended major, and career plans. Preference is given to students whose parents/guardians are employed by corporate sponsors. Students who intend to pursue a major or career that a corporate sponsor wants to support are eligible as well.

As these awards change year to year, you should check with your corporation of interest to learn about their award criteria. Sponsor corporations include UPS, Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, Sony, and GEICO ( see the full list here ) .

Around 1,000 Finalists and 1,000 high-performing NMSC participants receive corporate-sponsored merit scholarships and special scholarships each year , and they range a lot in amount. They are usually renewable, or awarded annually, and tend to be transferable to any four-year accredited college.

#3: College-Sponsored Merit Scholarships

Finalists who receive neither a National Merit Scholarship nor a corporate-sponsored scholarship are considered for college-sponsored scholarships .

Check the  list of college sponsors (starting on page 3) to see participating schools.

Some popular college sponsors include the following:

• Auburn University
• Boston University
• Bowdoin College
• Colby College
• Pomona College
• Tufts University
• University of Oregon
• Vanderbilt University

Some colleges that do NOT sponsor scholarships for National Merit students include Harvard and other Ivy League schools , Middlebury College, MIT, Stanford, and Williams College.

You must choose one of the sponsor colleges as your first-choice school on your application to be considered for a scholarship. If you put down "Undecided," you will not be considered. Even if you're not too sure what your top choice is, you should still put one of the sponsor colleges down or add one to your application ASAP.

Students can log into their NMSC applications and change their first-choice college up until May 31 unless they've already received an award offer from the college they indicated. The NMSC sends rosters of Finalists to sponsor colleges in March; scholarship offers start in early May and continue on for the next few months.

If you have any questions about the college-sponsored scholarship process, you can call the NMSC Scholarship administration at 847-866-5161.

About 4,000 students every year receive college-sponsored scholarships between $500 and $2,000 in value. Colleges may award even more merit-based awards. If that's the case, the NMSC will cover up to $2,000, and the rest of the award will come from the college or other sources.

Since every school differs, students should contact the school directly to discuss their merit-based financial awards. College-sponsored scholarships are renewable annually and non-transferable.

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How to Maximize Your Chances of Winning a National Merit Scholarship

There are a few steps you can take in order to maximize your chances of winning a National Merit Scholarship.

First, put together an outstanding application . You can review the instructions for Semifinalists on the NMSC website . The application is similar to college apps in that you must supply your GPA, a letter of recommendation (usually from your high school principal), and a personal essay.

For your application, think about what story your extracurricular activities and community service tell. Do they show a progression to a position of leadership? Do they show depth over breadth?

As for the essay, besides having flawless grammar and spelling, does the statement prove you're thoughtful and reflective, and can draw meaning from your experiences?

Next, consider your letter of recommendation. How strong is it? Give your principal or teacher a "brag sheet" of the specific qualities, accomplishments, and even adjectives you'd like them to include in the letter to make your recommendation stand out as one of the best.

In addition to putting together a stellar application, you should research sponsor corporations and be aware of your parents' employment. Include on your application relevant information so you can be considered for a corporate-sponsored scholarship.

Also, don't forget to indicate a sponsor college as your first choice . You can make changes until May 31. Your application will explain this process in greater detail.

How to Win the National Merit Scholarship: A Timeline

You can really maximize your chances of winning a National Merit Scholarship by following these steps and meeting all the deadlines:

• Prep for the PSAT your sophomore year. Use our expert guide for tips on how to study for the PSAT. Take official PSAT practice tests to get a feel for the test and to see what you need to focus on. Make sure you're scoring above the PSAT score cutoff for your state, or else you won't qualify as a Semifinalist once you take it your junior year.
• Take the PSAT in the fall of your junior year and qualify for Semifinalist status by scoring in the top 1% of all test takers in your state. (Note that you won't know whether you've qualified until September the following year, when you're a senior.)
• Study for the SAT and take it once or twice during your junior year. Get a high score that proves to the NMSC that your PSAT scores weren't just a fluke.
• Submit your NMSC application in early October your senior year. If for some reason your school received late notification of Semifinalists, just let the NMSC know what's happening; in this case, they shouldn't penalize you for having a late application.
• Receive word that you made Finalist in February of your senior year.
• Receive word that you won a scholarship starting in March of your senior year!

As you can see, if you're hoping to win a scholarship, it'll benefit you significantly to start preparing as early as possible for the National Merit Scholarship Competition.

This doesn't just mean studying for the PSAT and SAT, though—it also means joining clubs, gaining a leadership position, and cultivating good relationships with your teachers. All of this preparation will not only help you succeed on the PSAT and SAT, but will also set you up for lots of success in your future academic and professional careers .

What's Next?

Make sure you read our expert guides to becoming a National Merit Semifinalist and Finalist so you can have the best chance of qualifying at each stage of the competition.

While the National Merit Scholarship Competition uses the PSAT, the SAT is far more important for college admission. What's a good and a bad SAT score? Learn how to set a target score based on the colleges you're applying to.

Aiming for a perfect SAT score? Then read our guide to getting a full 1600 on the SAT , written by one of our resident perfect scorers!

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We have the industry's leading SAT prep program. Built by Harvard grads and SAT full scorers , the program learns your strengths and weaknesses through advanced statistics, then customizes your prep program to you so you get the most effective prep possible.

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Rebecca graduated with her Master's in Adolescent Counseling from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has years of teaching and college counseling experience and is passionate about helping students achieve their goals and improve their well-being. She graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT.

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How to Win a National Merit Scholarship

Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University.

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Cait Williams is a Content Writer at Scholarships360. Cait recently graduated from Ohio University with a degree in Journalism and Strategic Communications. During her time at OU, was active in the outdoor recreation community.

Caitlyn Cole is a college access professional with a decade of experience in non-profit program and project management for college readiness and access organizations.

Maria Geiger is Director of Content at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.

The National Merit Scholarship Program (NSMP) is a scholarship competition run by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. This is a tough scholarship to win since there are only 7,500 winners out of the 4,000,000+ students who take the PSAT each year.

While the size of the award isn’t as generous as other programs you’ll find in your quest to find and win scholarships , it’s worth educating yourself on this award for one huge, added benefit: being a National Merit Scholar can provide a powerful boost to your college application.

Keep on reading to learn more about how much money you might receive from the NMSP and how to apply and win the scholarship!

Related: How to win the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program

How much money does the National Merit Scholarship pay?

Before diving into how to win a National Merit Scholarship, let’s look at the sizes of this award. Students who win a National Merit Scholarship can win one of three awards:

• National Merit Scholarship . This one-time $2,500 scholarship is open to all students, regardless of financial need, college choice, or major.
• College-sponsored National Merit Scholarship . Students who are National Merit Finalists will nominate a college or university as their first choice. Some colleges award scholarship funding for renewable scholarships.
• Corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholarship . Many corporations will offer awards for children of their employees, residents of locations where the company operates, or for Finalists who have career interests aligned with the corporation. These scholarships can either be one-time awards or renewable for four years of college.

How do you win a National Merit Scholarship?

Winning a National Merit Scholarship is a simple process that largely depends on your performance on standardized testing.

Step 1: Take the PSAT

The first step to winning a National Merit Scholarship is to do well on the PSAT . You’ll have to get a good PSAT score during your junior year of high school). Specifically, you need to score within the top 1% of students. The good news about the PSAT is that it otherwise does not “count” in the admissions process and is not something that you will need to submit to colleges (you will submit the ACT or SAT instead). 

To maximize your PSAT, it is helpful to take a practice test beforehand. The Khan Academy, through a partnership with the College Board (which administers the PSAT and SAT) offers some great free resources .

Step 2: Receive a qualifying score in your state

There is not a national qualifying score you need to receive. Instead, the cutoff score varies on a state-by-state basis. While you can look up state cutoffs from previous years, the official state cutoffs are not determined until after students have taken the tests. Note that if you fall just outside the top 1%, the board will name you as a “National Merit Commended” student.

Step 3: Complete your application

If you are in the top 1% of PSAT scores, you will qualify as a PSAT Semifinalist during September of your senior year! The application requires a high school transcript, recommendation, and an essay. After Semifinalists submit their application, roughly 15,000 will be chosen as finalists. This is the pool of students that the winners are chosen from. 

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Step 4: take the sat .

If this wasn’t enough, you will need to take the SAT during your senior year to verify or confirm your PSAT score. There is not a specific cutoff for this step in the process, but the general idea is that your score should show that your PSAT was not a fluke.

Related: When should you take the SAT or ACT?

• Students can refer to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation website for more information on the NMSP
• Be sure to take the PSAT during your junior year in order to qualify for this scholarship program
• You’ll need to take the SAT during your senior year as well. While you don’t need to score in the top one percent again, you will need to score well
• If you are looking for other scholarship opportunities, you can also check out the Scholarships360 scholarship search tool

Frequently asked questions about how to win the National Merit Scholarship

What psat score gets you a national merit scholarship, what gpa do you need for the national merit scholarship, do colleges care if you’re a national merit semifinalist, scholarships360 recommended.

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National merit scholarship (how to win it): the winner’s guide.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for scholarships and recognition that started in 1955.

Each year, approximately 7,500 Finalists receive scholarships. About 1,100 outstanding National Merit participants who are not Finalists also receive Special Scholarships annually.

Some colleges even offer free tuition or full-ride scholarships to National Merit Finalists.

Scholarship money is always great, but it isn’t the only benefit to the National Merit program. Becoming a National Merit Finalist is a prestigious honor that can give your chances of college admission a major boost.

So, how can you reap the benefits of becoming a National Merit Finalist? Read this guide to learn everything you need to know!

Odds of Winning a National Merit Scholarship

Before we get started, you should know that earning a National Merit Scholarship is even more competitive than earning acceptance to an Ivy League college.

• Millions of students take the PSAT each year. About 16,000 students become Semifinalists, and 15,000 become Finalists.
• Of the Finalists, about 7,500 receive scholarships.

Of course, even if you don’t win a scholarship, becoming a Semifinalist or Finalist is a great honor.

It can make you a more competitive college applicant and earn you additional scholarship money from some colleges.

So, let’s find out how to increase your chances of success.

How to Enter the National Merit Program

Entering the National Merit Program is simple: Take the PSAT (formally known as the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) during the fall of your junior year in high school.

The test is usually administered in October.

Click above to watch a video on how to win the National Merit Scholarship.

If you meet certain qualifications, taking the PSAT/NMSQT automatically enters you in the National Merit Scholarship competition.

These qualifications are:

• Being enrolled as a high school student who is progressing normally toward graduation
• Planning to enroll full-time in college the fall after you graduate from high school
• Being a U.S. citizen or U.S. lawful permanent resident who plans to become a U.S. citizen

On your PSAT test form, you will answer four questions that determine whether you meet these requirements.

Next Steps: Qualifying for Scholarships

Of course, taking the test is only the beginning. To continue through the competition, you’ll need to:

• Score in the top one percent of PSAT test-takers
• Find out if you’re a Semifinalist or a Commended student
• Complete an application (if selected as a Semifinalist)
• Submit SAT scores
• Find out if you’ve qualified for scholarship(s)

Let’s take a closer look at each step of this process.

Score in the Top One Percent

After you take the PSAT, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) receives and reviews scores.

• If you meet the basic qualifications described above, they look at your Selection Index .
• The Selection Index is calculated by doubling the sum of your Reading, Writing and Language, and Mathematics scores.

About 16,000 high scorers become Semifinalists.

• This represents less than one percent of test-takers, meaning you’ll need to score in the top one percent to qualify as a semifinalist.

However, scores are considered on a state-by-state basis, so that students from across the nation have a chance to qualify.

Students often ask what score they’ll need to become a Semifinalist. This is hard to answer, because it varies from year to year. It’s usually somewhere around 1400.

For more information, you can call the NMSC at 847-866-5100 and ask about the previous year’s cutoff in your state.

Get personalized advice!

Receive notification of semifinalist/commended status.

You’ll have a long wait before you find out if you’ve achieved Semifinalist status.

In late September of your senior year, about 34,000 students receive a Letter of Commendation. Commended Students are based on a Selection Index score that is slightly lower than the Selection Index score needed to become a Semifinalist.

• Commended students don’t continue in the competition, but some do receive Special Scholarships.
• It’s also something positive to mention on your college applications.

An additional 16,000 students are notified that they have qualified as Semifinalists, usually in early September. All Semifinalists will receive application materials from NMSC through their schools.

Complete an Application

To advance from Semifinalist to Finalist, you will need to complete the NMSC application. 15,000 of the 16,000 Semifinalists become Finalists.

These applications are usually due in early October. The application is similar to a college application.

It includes:

• Information about your activities and leadership roles
• A recommendation letter from the principal or a school official designated by your principal
• Information about your school’s grading system and classes

To become a Finalist, you must:

• Have excellent academic performance all four years of high school (preferably a 3.5 GPA or higher)
• Have SAT scores that “confirm your PSAT performance”
• Continue meeting basic qualifications, including being enrolled in the last year of high school and planning to enroll in college in the fall

In the “Tips” section at the end of the article, we’ll discuss how to put your best foot forward with an impressive application.

Submit SAT Scores

SAT scores are part of the NMSC application. You’ll have to take the SAT on approved dates, usually during the fall of senior year.

• The NMSC must receive your scores by December 31 of your senior year.
• Although the NMSC doesn’t give a specific cutoff score for the SAT, they do say that your score should confirm your PSAT score.

Basically, your score should be close to your PSAT score to demonstrate that your PSAT performance wasn’t a fluke. You should aim for around 1400 or better.

Qualify for Scholarships

In February, about 15,000 Semifinalists receive a letter that they have advanced to Finalist standing.

Your high school principal will receive a certificate and present it to you.

From the Finalist group, winners of Merit Scholarships are selected. These selections are based on abilities, skills, and accomplishments.

Between March and mid-June, 7,500 Finalists learn that they have been awarded Merit Scholarships. There are three types of scholarships:

• National Merit $2500 Scholarships: Every Finalist is considered for these single payment scholarships, which are awarded on a state-by-state basis. Selections are not based on financial circumstances, major or college choice, or career plans.
• Corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards: Corporate sponsors designate awards for children of employees or members, residents of communities where the company operates, or Finalists with career plans the sponsor wishes to encourage. These awards are usually $500-$2000 and may be one-time awards or renewable for all four years of college.
• College-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards: Officials of sponsor colleges select winners from Finalists who have been accepted for admission and have informed NMSC that the college is their top choice. These awards are renewable for four years of undergraduate study.

Schools that offer free tuition or free-ride scholarships to National Merit Scholars include:

• Texas A&M
• University of Oklahoma
• University of Arizona
• Auburn University
• University of Tulsa
• Baylor University

In addition, about 1,100 excellent National Merit Program participants who are not Finalists receive Special Scholarships.

These may be one-time awards or renewable for four years of study. Students must meet the sponsor’s criteria and submit an entry form to the sponsor organization.

Tips for Winning a National Merit Scholarship

Now, we’ll look at tips that will help you qualify for a National Merit Scholarship.

These tips fall into two categories: earning a high score on the PSAT and submitting a top-notch NMSC application.

How to Earn a High Score on the PSAT

• Answer PSAT practice questions or take practice tests on the CollegeBoard’s website. Becoming familiar with the structure, format, and question types is extremely helpful.
• When you get a question wrong, take the time to read the right answer and understand why it’s correct. Why did you get the question wrong? What steered you in the wrong direction? What’s a better strategy you can use in the future?
• Based on how you perform on practice tests, determine your strengths and weaknesses. As you continue preparing, focus on improving in your areas of weakness.
• This may mean drilling math questions, studying vocabulary words (along with roots, prefixes, and suffixes), brushing up on grammar, or practicing with reading passages.
• If you need a lot of help in a subject area, consider hiring a tutor or working with a teacher at your school.
• Continue taking practice tests/answering practice questions to ensure that you’re improving and getting closer to your target score.

How to Submit a Competitive NMSC Application

• Have a GPA of at least 3.5 or better. You should have performed consistently well throughout high school, and you should have taken challenging courses. Of course, you can’t change your previous performance and schedule, but do your best to earn the highest grades possible now.
• Earn a high score on the SAT (preferably 1400 or better). You can prepare for the SAT in much the same way you prepared for the PSAT.
• Show deep extracurricular involvement in a few areas you’re passionate about, along with leadership experiences whenever possible.
• Cultivate positive relationships with your principal and other school officials. Ask for your recommendation at least three weeks ahead of time. Provide a list of qualities, experiences, and accomplishments they can mention in your letter.

Writing an Excellent Personal Essay for Your Application

Your NMSC essay must be 500-600 words.

The personal essay topic varies each year. Here’s one example from a previous year:

To help the reviewers get to know you, describe an experience you have had, a person who has influenced you, or an obstacle you have overcome. Explain why this is meaningful to you. Use your own words and limit your response to the space provided.

Like your college application essay, this essay is intended to showcase your unique personality and perspective.

Follow the same guidelines you should follow when writing your college application essay:

• Brainstorm what aspects of your life, personality, and values you’d like to share with the NMSC.
• Write in your authentic voice and be honest. The committee wants to know who you are as an individual.
• Open with an anecdote that introduces the topic you’d like to address. Use specific details that make the story yours.
• Be reflective. What did you learn from the experience you’ve described? How did it help you grow or influence your life? Why does the topic you selected matter to you?
• Proofread and edit. Make sure you’ve conveyed your ideas clearly and using appropriate conventions. Cut unnecessary fluff and clarify confusing parts.
• Have a parent, friend, and/or teacher read your essay and provide feedback.

Final Thoughts: National Merit Scholarship (And How to Win It!)

If you become a National Merit Scholar, it’s a huge honor that can qualify you for several scholarships (and even a full ride at some schools).

• Winning a National Merit scholarship is a long and highly competitive process, but it’s doable with practice and dedication.

The steps you must take to win a National Merit scholarship—earning good grades, participating in leadership and extracurricular activities, preparing for and performing well on the SAT, building relationships with teachers and administrators, and crafting a personal essay—are also essential for applying to college.

• So, aiming for a National Merit scholarship is a win no matter what happens. Do your best, but don’t stress too much over the results.

You’ll learn a lot from the experience, and you’ll build the competitiveness of your college application. If you win a scholarship or two along the way, that’s icing on the cake.

Learn how we can help you with college and career guidance! Check out our YouTube channel!

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Scholarship Essays

National Merit Scholarship Essay Example 2 - Influential Person or Obstacle

To help the reviewers get to know you, describe an experience you have had, a person who has influenced you, or an obstacle you have overcome. explain why this is meaningful to you.

Hot, salty tears continuously run down my dirt-streaked face and cling to the tip of my nose. I can feel the flush of blood run to my cheeks in embarrassment. All I can think is, "I am so patheticly weak!" I can feel my stomach aching, and I know, if it hadn't already, my breakfast would be coming back. My limbs feel like giant rubber hoses, with no life in them. There is no will in me to move from my current position, with my knees curled to my chest, and my face in the dirt.

The sun is beating down on my back with sharp lances of sunlight. "Come on, get up." I hear from far away to my left. it is not unkind, but I have no inclination to obey it. "You can do it. Mind over matter." The voice is getting closer to my ear, but still my resolve to do anything has vanished. Suddenly, there she is, knelt on the ground so she can put her face directly in front of mine. "Almost done! You can do it, just finish! Always finish!" In my mind, though, I know I'll never be able to finish the last eight miles of our marathon.

Without quite realizing it, I allow my coach to help me to my feet. Her face breaks out into an incredulous grin. My mind doesnt even function enough to wonder how she can manage to smile, or stand after the first eighteen miles. Coach T resumes spewing her never-ending monologue of encouragements, all while running next to me, until finally, the unthinkable happens. We cross the finish line.

Finishing those twenty-six miles was undoubtedly the most rewarding and satisfying moment of my life. Never before have I needed so much focus or determination. Yet I know that without Coach T there to help me, I would never have finished. She has been so much more than just my high school volleyball coach; she has helped me learn things that no other person ever could. She taught me that quitting anything is never an option, but most importantly, she taught me that i can do anything if I sincerely try. And I have carried that lesson with me everywhere since.

Original Source: Essay Forum

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What Is a National Merit® Scholarship

The National Merit Corporation is a privately funded NGO organization that awards brilliant students with a prestigious Merit Scholarship to cover their academic fees. It was founded in 1955, and since then, it has helped over 3 million students achieve their academic dreams. The National Merit Corporation runs two types of programs. The National Merit Scholarship Program awards U.S. high school students that excel at academic performance. The other one, the National Achievement Scholarship Program, founded in 1964, helps Black American youth to pursue their studies. Students applying for one of their scholarships must pass a competition, and our personal statement writers can be very useful for that. These are the different stages of it:

• First, students must take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test
• Then, a round of semifinalists is selected. Semifinalists are the students who got the highest scores from their state.
• From those semifinalists, the organization selects a group of finalists who need to provide an essay, among other documents.
• Finally, an elite crowd receives a Merit Scholarship. The winners are chosen based on their performance, skills, and abilities.

All You Need to Know about the National Merit® Scholarship Program

If you are thinking of applying for one of their scholarships, you should be aware of the National Merit Scholarship requirements. To be considered for one of their grants, you should attend a U.S high school. You could also attend a school within the U.S Commonwealth or the District of Columbia. You need to be a U.S citizen or be living lawfully in the U.S. as a permanent resident.

Another requirement you should meet is that you need to be a high school student. But, you can be coursing a traditional high school or be a homeschooled student. You should also take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in the stated year of the high school program. If you meet all the requirements, then you can move into the application process. These are the steps for the application process:

• After you have taken the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, you will be notified if you are a semifinalist.
• Semifinalists need to provide their SAT results too.
• Finalists will have to submit a self-descriptive essay in order to compete for the award.

What You Should Know about the National Merit® Scholarship Application Essay

If you are a semifinalist, as part of your National Merit Scholarship application you will need to submit a self-descriptive essay. In this essay, the jury will judge how well do you express yourself, your word choice, and will get to know you a little bit more. The application essay should help you beat the competition. Since you will be competing with highly talented students from all the territory, you will need to make sure that your application remains memorable.

Your personal application essay is an extremely important part of your application. Just like your scores, your essay will demonstrate your academic abilities. It will tell the jury how well can you express your thoughts on paper, and what do you think about yourself. These two points help them get an idea of the candidate. And if they like your answer to the essay, you can probably win the competition.

Learn How to Write a National Merit® Scholarship Essay

If you need to write an essay as part of your application, make sure you submit a winning National Merit Scholarship essay. Learning how to create one can improve your chances of winning the competition. Here is some expert advice that will help you write a winning essay. Take a look at them:

• Your essay should be written in 500 to 600 words. Make sure you meet the word count as it will demonstrate that you know how to summarize information and explain relevant details only.
• Read the question carefully and several times. Ensure that you have understood it and you know what you should write about.
• Once you have an idea of the topic, start brainstorming several events that marked your life. Since your essay has to reveal a significant part of your life, make sure that you want to share it.
• After brainstorming, pick the moment in your life that had a major impact. Summarize it and explain why did it affect you, and how did it shape you.
• Your description should reveal your personality, what you have learned from that episode, and how do you embrace changes.
• When you finish writing it, you should take the time to proofread it. Submitting a flawless essay is key to advance in this highly competitive contest. Make sure that there are no typos, grammatical mistakes, or orthographical errors. Your sentences should also be coherent and short. Avoid complex ones as they may make it harder for the reader to understand what you are saying.

Our Services Can Help You Submit a Winning National Merit® Scholarship Essay

Even if you know how to write a National Merit Scholarship essay, you may struggle with thinking about how to organize the information you want to include. And it is no wonder. When you consider that only 1% of the semifinalists made it to the final stage, and only half of them receive a scholarship, writer’s block might start knocking on your door.

That’s why it is better to rely on our service. Our professional and skilled writers can help you craft a personalized essay following your requirements. Our reliable service will treat your details confidentially and only use them to tailor a personal paper. We can help you put your thoughts on paper. In a coherent, interesting, and flawless way, of course. But, besides our flair for language, there are many reasons why you should choose our help. For example:

• You should hire our services if you want to make sure that your essay is free of mistakes.
• When you choose our services, we will provide a free draft that you can revise before a professional writer starts writing your essay. You can recommend any changes you want and provide feedback.
• We also have free revisions that you can ask for once you receive your essay. We want to make sure you are happy with your paper.
• You should also choose our help if you are looking for a service with affordable rates and quality results. We only work with professional writers that help us guarantee we will deliver an outstanding personalized essay.
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If you have decided to obtain a National Merit Scholarship, our experts are able to assist you in personal statement writing in order to make it the excellent one!

Aidan Douglas Named National Merit Scholarship Finalist!

Southeast Polk Senior Aidan Douglas has been named a finalist in the National Merit Scholarship program!

Aiden has made a great showing already. Over 1.3 million students in 21,000 high schools entered the program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screening of the program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist 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.

From over 16,000 Semifinalists, 15,000 have advanced to Finalists. The National Merit Scholarship winners are selected from this group. Three types of scholarships will be offered later this spring.  Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. Over 800 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 160 corporations and business organizations, and about 160 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

“Aidan is an outstanding student and individual,” shared SEP High School Gifted Education Counselor Valerie Powell.  “He has always strived to do his best in the classroom and often chose the advanced version of a course when given the choice.  He’s always taken advantage of the courses SEP has to offer by choosing a variety of courses in the core areas and taking a full schedule.”

Historically, Southeast Polk has had 37 students named to the finalist status since 1974. Kayla Armantrout (class of 2020), Jacob Beattie and Jackson Birdwell (class of 2019) were our most recent finalists.

Congratulations, Aidan and all previous finalists, for this major accomplishment!

Tips for Writing an Effective Application Essay

How to Write an Effective Essay

Writing an essay for college admission gives you a chance to use your authentic voice and show your personality. It's an excellent opportunity to personalize your application beyond your academic credentials, and a well-written essay can have a positive influence come decision time.

Want to know how to draft an essay for your college application ? Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing.

Tips for Essay Writing

A typical college application essay, also known as a personal statement, is 400-600 words. Although that may seem short, writing about yourself can be challenging. It's not something you want to rush or put off at the last moment. Think of it as a critical piece of the application process. Follow these tips to write an impactful essay that can work in your favor.

1. Start Early.

Few people write well under pressure. Try to complete your first draft a few weeks before you have to turn it in. Many advisers recommend starting as early as the summer before your senior year in high school. That way, you have ample time to think about the prompt and craft the best personal statement possible.

You don't have to work on your essay every day, but you'll want to give yourself time to revise and edit. You may discover that you want to change your topic or think of a better way to frame it. Either way, the sooner you start, the better.

2. Understand the Prompt and Instructions.

Before you begin the writing process, take time to understand what the college wants from you. The worst thing you can do is skim through the instructions and submit a piece that doesn't even fit the bare minimum requirements or address the essay topic. Look at the prompt, consider the required word count, and note any unique details each school wants.

3. Create a Strong Opener.

Students seeking help for their application essays often have trouble getting things started. It's a challenging writing process. Finding the right words to start can be the hardest part.

Spending more time working on your opener is always a good idea. The opening sentence sets the stage for the rest of your piece. The introductory paragraph is what piques the interest of the reader, and it can immediately set your essay apart from the others.

4. Stay on Topic.

One of the most important things to remember is to keep to the essay topic. If you're applying to 10 or more colleges, it's easy to veer off course with so many application essays.

A common mistake many students make is trying to fit previously written essays into the mold of another college's requirements. This seems like a time-saving way to avoid writing new pieces entirely, but it often backfires. The result is usually a final piece that's generic, unfocused, or confusing. Always write a new essay for every application, no matter how long it takes.

5. Think About Your Response.

Don't try to guess what the admissions officials want to read. Your essay will be easier to write─and more exciting to read─if you’re genuinely enthusiastic about your subject. Here’s an example: If all your friends are writing application essays about covid-19, it may be a good idea to avoid that topic, unless during the pandemic you had a vivid, life-changing experience you're burning to share. Whatever topic you choose, avoid canned responses. Be creative.

6. Focus on You.

Essay prompts typically give you plenty of latitude, but panel members expect you to focus on a subject that is personal (although not overly intimate) and particular to you. Admissions counselors say the best essays help them learn something about the candidate that they would never know from reading the rest of the application.

7. Stay True to Your Voice.

Use your usual vocabulary. Avoid fancy language you wouldn't use in real life. Imagine yourself reading this essay aloud to a classroom full of people who have never met you. Keep a confident tone. Be wary of words and phrases that undercut that tone.

8. Be Specific and Factual.

Capitalize on real-life experiences. Your essay may give you the time and space to explain why a particular achievement meant so much to you. But resist the urge to exaggerate and embellish. Admissions counselors read thousands of essays each year. They can easily spot a fake.

9. Edit and Proofread.

When you finish the final draft, run it through the spell checker on your computer. Then don’t read your essay for a few days. You'll be more apt to spot typos and awkward grammar when you reread it. After that, ask a teacher, parent, or college student (preferably an English or communications major) to give it a quick read. While you're at it, double-check your word count.

Writing essays for college admission can be daunting, but it doesn't have to be. A well-crafted essay could be the deciding factor─in your favor. Keep these tips in mind, and you'll have no problem creating memorable pieces for every application.

What is the format of a college application essay?

Generally, essays for college admission follow a simple format that includes an opening paragraph, a lengthier body section, and a closing paragraph. You don't need to include a title, which will only take up extra space. Keep in mind that the exact format can vary from one college application to the next. Read the instructions and prompt for more guidance.

Most online applications will include a text box for your essay. If you're attaching it as a document, however, be sure to use a standard, 12-point font and use 1.5-spaced or double-spaced lines, unless the application specifies different font and spacing.

How do you start an essay?

The goal here is to use an attention grabber. Think of it as a way to reel the reader in and interest an admissions officer in what you have to say. There's no trick on how to start a college application essay. The best way you can approach this task is to flex your creative muscles and think outside the box.

You can start with openers such as relevant quotes, exciting anecdotes, or questions. Either way, the first sentence should be unique and intrigue the reader.

What should an essay include?

Every application essay you write should include details about yourself and past experiences. It's another opportunity to make yourself look like a fantastic applicant. Leverage your experiences. Tell a riveting story that fulfills the prompt.

What shouldn’t be included in an essay?

When writing a college application essay, it's usually best to avoid overly personal details and controversial topics. Although these topics might make for an intriguing essay, they can be tricky to express well. If you’re unsure if a topic is appropriate for your essay, check with your school counselor. An essay for college admission shouldn't include a list of achievements or academic accolades either. Your essay isn’t meant to be a rehashing of information the admissions panel can find elsewhere in your application.

How can you make your essay personal and interesting?

The best way to make your essay interesting is to write about something genuinely important to you. That could be an experience that changed your life or a valuable lesson that had an enormous impact on you. Whatever the case, speak from the heart, and be honest.

Is it OK to discuss mental health in an essay?

Mental health struggles can create challenges you must overcome during your education and could be an opportunity for you to show how you’ve handled challenges and overcome obstacles. If you’re considering writing your essay for college admission on this topic, consider talking to your school counselor or with an English teacher on how to frame the essay.

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