How to become a National Merit Scholar through the PSAT?

I've been hearing a lot about the National Merit Scholarship and I know it's connected to the PSAT. Can anybody explain how this works and what I need to do to become a National Merit Scholar? Thanks for the help!

The National Merit Scholarship Program is a prestigious academic competition for recognition and scholarships that begins with the PSAT/NMSQT, which stands for Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. To enter the competition, you must take the PSAT during your junior year of high school. High scorers are then notified through their schools that they have qualified as either a Commended Student or a Semifinalist. Semifinalists can then apply to become Finalists, which involves submitting a detailed scholarship application—including an essay, information about extracurricular achievements, teacher recommendations, and SAT/ACT scores. Finalists then have the chance to be chosen as National Merit Scholars, which may lead to scholarship opportunities. The specific score needed to qualify varies each year and by state. To position yourself as a strong contender, aim for a score in the top 1% of your state's test-takers. This threshold is published annually and is known as the National Merit Semifinalist cutoff score. Good luck on your test preparations!