Seniors Noah Perez and Lauren Richards were named National Merit FINALISTS! From 1.5 million entrants to 50,000 qualifiers to 16,000 semifinalists to 15,000 finalists: We are so proud of you both! Merit Scholarship awards are chosen from the Finalist group based on, but not limited to, their academics, their school’s curriculum, their PSAT scores, leadership roles and essays. Approximately 7,250 finalists will be notified in the spring that they have been selected to receive Merit Scholarships.