By Katlin Schendel
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On Sept. 9, Seniors Risa Askerooth, Tyler Villegas and Kayli Chun qualified for the semifinals in the National Merit Scholarship Competition after taking the PSAT in their junior year. The trio had to prepare months ahead of time for the PSAT by reading through problems, taking practice tests, analyzing passages and learning to effectively manage their time.
“I’m pretty proud of my accomplishments,” stated Villegas. “I learned that no matter how smart I am it’s always hard work and dedication that brings me to success.”
With the original number of PSAT test-takers starting at about 1.5 million, the chances of being picked as one of the top 16,000 semifinalists was a difficult task. As it takes almost up to a year for the results to be announced, the sudden announcement often comes as a surprise to test takers. Chun recalls, “I actually did not know until my friend came up to me and was like ‘Congratulations!’ I was really, really confused. And then later that day the counselors called me in.”
Even after being selected as a semifinalist, the process is far from over. The students were required to take the SAT between October 2013 to December 2015 and must be able to provide a record that they have a high academic performance within the school. Then, the semifinalists have to turn in an application for a chance to claim one of the 15,000 finalist spots. “It’s kind of like college applications,” says Chun. “You have to write an essay and put in all your credentials and stuff. Then the counselors have to write you a recommendation letter.”
Even before being chosen as semifinalists, Askerooth, Villegas and Chun had to work hard to pass the PSAT with above average scores on each subject by studying extensively. The trio had to read through problems, take practice tests, analyze passages and learn to balance their personal and academic lives. “Once I felt I learned (the content) and I thought I knew what they’d ask, I took a (practice) test and then learned how the writers then wrote the test,” said Villegas. “(Chun’s) very studious and cares a lot about her education,” Science teacher Tyson Kikugawa said. “I like when students try their hardest and don’t give up.”
With only a year left in high school, Askerooth, Villegas and Chun are hoping to receive the scholarship so they can pursue their ideal careers in college. Chun stated, “I think I want to go into engineering, I’m not completely sure which one, but probably mechanical engineering.” She hopes for a college that will allow her to experiment with this field of jobs. “They should have a good engineering program,” Chun said. “I also think it should have a good learning environment and have a place to study.”
The National Merit Scholarship Program not only serves as a platform for financial aid, but for a college sponsorship as well. A college sponsorship allows students to earn aid between $500 and $2,000 per year from the college to go toward their tuition. Villegas stated, “They have very good systems set up in place already to help National Merit Scholars progress along in college. And so I feel it would be very beneficial to me, especially since I will most likely have that support system when I get there.”
With the semifinalists’ applications now available, Askerooth, Villegas and Chun work to complete theirs before the deadline on Oct. 7. While Askerooth and Villegas have dream colleges, Askerooth’s being Colgate University in New York and Villegas’ as Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, Chun still remains undecided.
