BEVERLY HILLS—The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced that three Beverly Hills High School students, Parsa Farnad, Bradley Moon and Nicholas Walker, have qualified as semifinalists for the 2021 award on September 9.
The National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSC) is an academic competition for recognition and college scholarships since 1955.
High school students across the country enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). This serves as an initial screen of over 1.5 million entrants each year. Students have to meet the entry and participation requirements to be a part of the program.
Applicants must provide detailed information about their grades and extracurricular activities, write an essay, and be recommended and endorsed by an employee at their school to advance to the finalist status.
Out of the total applicants from all over the country, 15,000 semifinalists are expected to advance to finalist status, according to the NMSC.
Finalists compete for the 2,500 scholarships, that is worth $2,500 each. The winners for the year 2021 will be named between April and July 2021 in four separate announcements.
BHHS College Counselor Casey Rowley applauded the students for showing resilience through their academic achievement and said it was exciting to honor their efforts.
“We congratulate the students recognized for their academic achievement and excellence in their pursuit towards higher education, especially during times where learning has had to be adapted,” Rowley told Patch news.
Canyon News reached out to Beverly Hills High School for comment, but didn’t hear back before print.
