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27 Leander ISD Students Named National Merit® Semifinalists

Twenty-seven students from five of Leander ISD’s six high schools demonstrated exceptional performance on the 2018 Preliminary SAT/National Merit® Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). The following table shows how each Leander ISD high school has fared over the past five years in this national competition:

Class
School 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 5 YR +/- ∆
Leander High School 0 3 1 0 1 + 100%
Cedar Park High School 9 2 4 3 1 –    89%
Vista Ridge High School 5 3 3 5 8 +   60%
Rouse High School 2 2 1 0 1 –    50%
Vandegrift High School 14 13 17 14 16 +   14%
Glenn High School NA NA NA 0 0         0%
Total Leander ISD NMS 30 23 26 22 27   -10% (-19%)*
Total Class PSAT® Participants 2,553 2,625 2,681 2,935 2,846 +11%
*Relative to increase in PSAT® participants
These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit® Scholarships offered next spring. To be considered for the award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. Over 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win a National Merit® Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar ® title.

National Merit® Scholarship Corporation (NMSC)

Students and parents can learn more about the National Merit® Scholarship Program at nationalmerit.org. Details on registering to take the 2019 PSAT® can be found on Leander ISD’s School and Community Relations website.

Whether a student has met the qualifying cut-off, parents and students should consider the college and career resources on LeanderLookout before getting caught up in the frenzied vortex of the college application process.

For parents of seniors, and especially for parents with younger students, recently-published Beyond the Diploma, by Bev Parrish, offers a healthy perspective on the value of college prep test scores relative to success in life, and particularly in relation to family life and character.

Beyond the Diploma is a quick, compelling read packed with wisdom from her personal experience of raising and educating seven children with her husband, Chris. Bev’s insights offer practical guidance on how to preserve the serenity of your home amid the chaos and pitfalls of comparison, regardless of the K-12 education path.

NOTE: The October 2019 PSAT® last registration deadline Is September 17, 2019 (for mailed registrations) September 24, 2019 (for registrations made online or by phone). Contact the College and Career Department at Leander High School, 512-570-1000 or Vandegrift High School, (512)570-2300

 

 

Copyright © 2019 Don Stroud