The National Merit® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the PSAT/NMSQT®— a test which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.3 million entrants each year — and by meeting published program entry/participation requirements.
Of the 1.3 million entrants, 55,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT® Selection Index scores (verbal + math + writing skills scores) qualify for recognition in the National Merit® Scholarship Program.
Nationwide only 4% of entrants are chosen as National Merit Commended Scholars. At Health Careers High School 13 of our students out of the 175 juniors who took the PSAT/NMSQT®, were chosen as National Merit Commended Scholars (7%.) We are also proud of the fact that 85-90% of our juniors take the tests each year.