National Merit Scholars

The competition will span about 18 months from entry in the fall of the student's junior year until the spring of the student's senior year when scholarships for college undergraduate study will be awarded. It is expected that about 4 million students will take the PSAT/NMSQT in 2019, and approximately 1.6 million of them will meet requirements to enter this program.

For the current and complete explanation of steps, requirements, and dates for the competition, see pages 1–3 of the Information document and the Requirements and Instructions for Semifinalists document. Both documents can be found at www.nationalmerit.org/resources and in the “Competition Instructions” section of the OSA.

Take the PSAT/NMSQT in October of the student's junior year and meet all entry requirements. To see the latest entry requirements, visit nationalmerit.org.

In September of the student's senior year, 16,000 Semifinalists are notified and their names are released to media.

Between September and October of the student's senior year, Semifinalists and their high schools electronically submit National Merit Scholarship Applications using the Online Scholarship Application (OSA); Semifinalists make arrangements for reporting of SAT® or ACT® scores.

In either January or February of the student's senior year, 15,000 Semifinalists advance to Finalist standing; their Certificates of Merit are sent to high schools and selection of Merit Scholar® awardees begins. Semifinalists who do not advance to Finalist standing notified.

Between March and June of the student's senior year, 7,600 Merit Scholar designees notified. Finalists not selected as Merit Scholarship® winners notified.

During that time, 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are notified, 1,000 corporatesponsored Merit Scholarship winners are notified, and 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners are notified.