Northside ISD students continue to excel and receive numerous honors and awards. The College Board National Recognition Program now includes School Recognition Award, First-Generation Recognition Award, and the Rural and Small Town Recognition. In addition, National Merit Commended students are listed. (The National Hispanic or Latinx Recognition Program, National Indigenous Recognition Program, and National African-American Recognition Program has been discontinued.)
National Merit Semifinalists and Commended Scholars
The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
About 90 percent of the semifinalists will attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
School Recognition Award
The School Recognition Award (introduced in 2025) celebrates students who demonstrated academic excellence within their school community. To qualify, a student must score among the top 10% of their high school’s test takers on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 and/or earn a 3+ or 2 or more distinct AP exams by 10th grade. The award recognizes students of all backgrounds and from schools across the country, helping higher education instructions connect with talented students nationwide.
First Generation Recognition Program
New in 2024, the National First-Generation Recognition Program defines a first-generation student as a student whose parent(s) do not have a bachelor's degree.
The introduction of the National First-Generation Recognition Program ensures even more high school students are celebrated for their achievements and can be found by colleges during recruitment to pursue a path forward after high school.
Eligible students qualify based on strong academic performance reflected by PSAT/NMSQT® or PSAT™ 10 scores within the top 10% of test takers for each award program in each state or a score of 3 or higher on two or more AP Exams by the end of 10th grade.
National Rural and Small Town Award
Students are considered for the Rural and Small-Town Recognition Program based on the location of their high school.
See list of students below:
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