On Friday, Sep. 14, Fourteen of our Edmond North students were announced at our THUD assembly to be National Merit semi-finalists, becoming part of the 1% of students in the US to make the semi-finals. Edmond North has the most semi-finalists of all the district’s high schools.

The task of being selected for the National Merit Scholarship program is a challenging one.

First, students must get top scores on the PSAT and ACT tests.

Students apply for the scholarship with an application that includes their test scores, academic record, involvement in school or community activities, employment, and any honors or awards received.

Only about half of the 16,000 semi-finalists throughout the US are awarded the National Merit Scholarship. With this scholarship, select schools can offer these students up to $25,000 in tuition, or sometimes even a full-ride scholarship.

One National Merit Semi-finalist, Senior Kayla Priddy, doesn’t have a full plan for college yet, but, if she were to go to an in-state college, she says she would most likely attend Tulsa University for its numerous benefits awarded to National Merit Semi-finalists.

“Winning National Merit is super exciting and fulfilling,” Priddy reflected, “It makes a lot of the work I put in feel worth it.”