In general, students who score in the top 3-4% are named Commended Scholars, while students who score in the top 1% are deemed Semifinalists.
Of the 15,000 Finalists, about 8,000 receive Merit Scholarship awards.
They are among 16,000 semifinalist students who are eligible for Merit® Scholarship Awards
About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title