From the GPS Class of 2021, Katie Day was named a Commended Student in the National Merit Scholarship Program. She joins Semifinalists Lily Duplooy, Hunter McVay, Maggie Parsley, Annie Thrash, and Jennifer Wu in the program.
As juniors, Katie and her classmates from the GPS Class of 2021 took the 2019 PSAT/NMSQT, which served as the initial screen of more than 1.5 million entrants to the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program.
According to the program, about 34,000 of the 50,000 high scorers in each annual National Merit Scholarship Program are named Commended Students, based on a National Selection Index qualifying score, applicable to all participants without regard to state-by-state distribution. This year in Tennessee, 352 students were named Commended Students; 332 were named Semifinalists.
The qualifying score for this level of recognition varies from year to year. All National Merit Program participants who score at or above the Commended level and just below their selection unit’s Semifinalist qualifying score are designated Commended Students.
In mid-September, NMSC sends principals a list of their school’s Commended Students with Letters of Commendation for presentation to the students. Although Commended Students are honored for their academic promise, they do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarship awards. Some, however, may be candidates for Special Scholarships offered by corporate sponsors.