National Merit Qualifications: What do I need to know?

So I've heard a lot about National Merit Scholarships recently, and I'm curious about the qualifications. What exactly do I need to do to be eligible for the program besides taking the PSAT in my junior year? Is there a minimum score requirement or any other criteria? Thanks for your help!

The National Merit Scholarship Program is a prestigious academic competition that recognizes high school students based on their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test). To be eligible, you generally need to meet the following criteria:

1. Take the PSAT/NMSQT during your junior year (11th grade) in high school.

2. Be enrolled as a high school student (traditional or homeschooled), progressing normally toward graduation or completion of high school, and planning to accept admission to college no later than the fall following completion of high school.

3. Be a U.S. citizen or a U.S. lawful permanent resident (or have applied for permanent residency) intending to become a U.S. citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law.

As for the scoring requirement, there isn't a universal minimum score to be considered for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Instead, each state has its own cutoff score, which is based on the top 1% of PSAT/NMSQT scores in that state. These cutoff scores can vary from year to year and state to state. It's essential to familiarize yourself with the previous cutoff scores for your state to have a ballpark figure for the score you should be aiming for. Keep in mind that achieving a score above your state's cutoff qualifies you as a National Merit Semifinalist.

If you become a Semifinalist, you'll be asked to submit additional materials (including SAT/ACT scores and an application) to advance to the Finalist stage. Ultimately, around 7,500 National Merit Finalists are selected to receive one of the three types of National Merit Scholarships: the National Merit $2500 Scholarship, corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards, or college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards.

In summary, you'll want to focus on achieving a high PSAT/NMSQT score and ensure that you meet all the outlined eligibility requirements. It's also a good idea to prepare for the SAT/ACT, as scores from these tests may be used in the later stages of the competition to confirm your academic performance.