Overview

National Merit® Scholarship Program

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition among high school students for recognition and college scholarships that began in 1955. The program is conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®), a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. United States high school students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which serves as an initial screen of over 1.3 million entrants each year, and by meeting published program entry and participation requirements.

To enter the National Merit Scholarship Program and compete for recognition and 7,880 scholarships to be offered in 2025: 

  • Take the PSAT/NMSQT in October 2023. 
  • Meet other program entry requirements.

The 2023 PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test for entry to the 2025 program. Program entrants must take the test in the specified year of the high school program (see When to Take the Test). Most entrants will complete high school and enroll in college in 2025.

Paper PSAT/NMSQT Student Guides will not be provided to students through their high schools, but students can browse the PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide and download a PDF version here: PSAT/NMSQT Student Guide

Featured Scholars
Tianna N. Chemello
Tianna N. Chemello
“I look out onto the span of solar panels in the desert not too far from my home, and I feel less overwhelmed by the magnitude of the climate crises,” Tianna N. Chemello says when speaking of her motivation for pursuing a degree in environmental engineering. Tianna lists further inspirations, such as people who buy organic foods or plant bee-friendly flowers—“People like me,” she says, “attempting to save our planet.” 
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Reese D. Borlin
Reese D. Borlin
Scholar, Eagle Scout, Volunteer, Athlete—Reese D. Borlin hopes to eventually add “Park Ranger” to the list of titles he has earned so far. As a forestry major at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Reese focuses his studies on forest recreation and park management, often venturing outside the classroom. In the past few years, Reese has visited 20 national parks and numerous state and national forests and recreational areas. He is pictured here near a frozen alpine lake in Rocky Mountain National Park. 
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Chixue (Sybil) Fu
Chixue (Sybil) Fu
As a student enrolled in Columbia College’s economics and political science program, Chixue (Sybil) Fu could look up to any number of prominent economists and politicians, but “I ultimately look up to my mother,” she says. Sybil explains that her mother is an immigrant and single parent who has worked as a janitor for the past 13 years and has “witnessed the discrimination imposed upon immigrants and experienced the economic struggles that ensue.” Sybil believes that she “would not have the same passion” for her studies had it not been for the inspiration from her mother.
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Molly K. Buffington
Molly K. Buffington
“Receiving the National Merit Scholarship was the reason I was able to attend college, period,” Molly K. Buffington emphasizes when explaining the impact that donations to NMSC could make on the lives of hard-working students. An alumna of the University of Alabama, Molly triple majored in history, German, and Latin. “I was able to attend college and not worry about my finances,” she says of her National Merit Program recognition, “which led to the opportunity to increase the breadth of my studies.”
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Rishiprotim Nag
Rishiprotim Nag
“Education is the best tool we have to inspire the younger generations,” Rishiprotim Nag asserts when considering the importance of NMSC’s mission. “Receiving the National Merit Scholarship was, for me, an affirmation,” Rishiprotim says, “and a realization that I could financially afford to continue to challenge myself and learn more in an environment very different from any I was familiar with.” The challenging environment Rishiprotim found was Princeton University, where he studied engineering in operations research and financial engineering. His scholarship served as “a call to action,” he says, “to continue testing myself every day.”
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Kevin N. Medansky
Kevin N. Medansky
“Too often,” Kevin N. Medansky says, “we believe that people are simply born for languages or they are not. It is my firm belief, however, that these skills come from work and dedication.” From the campus of Haverford College in Pennsylvania to the 11th Arrondissement in Paris, Kevin focused his college experiences around his certainty that language can be learned by anyone and can be utilized to bring people together.
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