Seven Southside students were selected to be semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program this year. Students met a list of requirements in order to apply for the National Merit Program, including reaching a particular score on the PSAT exam. 

“I kind of knew that I probably qualified for it, but to hear the official news was really relieving. Having the counselor walk us through the process and what it means to be a semifinalist with more opportunities open to you, that makes me very happy,” senior Tu Nguyen said.

These students made up seven out of only 169 semifinalists for the state of Arkansas. They also represent the 1% of all students who participated. This accomplishment is extremely impressive and shows that these students are highly motivated and intelligent. Now that these names have been announced, it is time for these students to take the steps toward becoming a finalist in the competition.

“Now, we’re all applying to be National Merit Finalists – writing, filling out forms, and getting letters of recommendation from teachers all while anxiously waiting until next month when they release the finalists,” senior David Rotaru said.

The finalists’ names will be released next month, so be sure to stay tuned for those results.