May 11, 2022 - Today, National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) released this year’s National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners, and we are thrilled to announce that TJ student, Landy Zhou '22, has been named a recipient of this prestigious award. The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of some 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program
National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.
The scholarship winners were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®); contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.
“Landy has been a superstar at TJ since day one, and she is one of the most productive, intelligent, and well-rounded students I have ever encountered,” wrote Angela Audet, TJ Faculty member and Landy's advisor. “She strives for academic excellence and cares very much about earning highest honors, but this does not define her. From academics to visual arts, clubs, sports, and myriad other community activities, Landy stands out as a leader in the community and a model of excellence. In any initiative she undertakes, she envisions not just her own personal growth and accomplishments, but focuses on the whole group or organization, ensuring goals are set and met. Landy’s engagement and desire for excellence benefits all who have contact with her.”
This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2020 when over 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools took the PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named Semifinalists on a state representational basis. Only these approximately 16,000 Semifinalists had an opportunity to continue in the competition.
From the Semifinalist group, some 15,000 students met the very high academic standards and other requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. By the conclusion of the 2022 program, about 7,500 Finalists will have earned the “Merit Scholar” title and received a total of nearly $28 million in college scholarships.
About National Merit Scholarship Competition NMSC, a not-for-profit corporation that operates without government assistance, was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of scholarships offered each year are underwritten by approximately 400 independent corporate and college sponsors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring scholastically talented youth and encouraging academic excellence at all levels of education.