Hey y'all, I'm curious if there's a list of National Merit Finalists for 2023 sorted by state? I want to see how competitive my state is, but I can't seem to find this info anywhere. Thanks for any help!
While there isn't a complete, official list of National Merit Finalists sorted by state, you can still get a general idea of the competitiveness of your state. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) determines the number of Semifinalists in each state based on the percentage of the nation's graduating high school seniors within that state. These numbers are proportional to the state's population of graduating seniors, so states with larger populations will generally have more Semifinalists and Finalists. Keep in mind that a majority of Semifinalists (about 15,000 out of 16,000) will ultimately advance to become Finalists.
If you're looking for specific names or details about the Finalists in your state, unfortunately, the NMSC does not release a comprehensive public list sorted by state. However, you can sometimes find local news articles announcing students who received the designation or check with your school's counseling office, as they might have more information on local students recognized as National Merit Finalists. Remember that the exact cutoff score to qualify for National Merit recognition varies from state to state and year to year, depending on how the top 1% of test-takers in each state perform on the PSAT.
I hope this helps you get a sense of the National Merit competition in your state. Good luck!
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