Whittell High School student Olive Jillson Hamner named National Merit Scholarship semifinalist

ZEPHYR COVE, Nev. - Olive Jillson Hamner, a student at George Whittell High School, has earned academic honors as a National Merit Scholarship semifinalist.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate Olive’s success and recognize her for the great work she’s been doing. We’re proud of her strong academic performance in the classroom and in the community” said Principal Sean Ryan “There’s so much that makes the students at Whittell unique, and this honor reinforces the opportunities that are provided to all students at our small school.”

Olive was among the more than 16,000 highest-scoring entrants out of 1.3 million students nationwide who took the fall 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) as juniors. The top-scoring entrants in each state were named National Merit Semifinalists as part of the program’s 70th year, representing less than one percent of this year’s U.S. high school seniors.

These semifinalists have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. 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, according to the program.

Scholarships are underwritten by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) with its funds and by approximately 280 business organizations, higher education institutions, and individual donors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence. To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test, according to the program.

Merit Scholar designees are selected based on their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference, according to the program. Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2025. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis.

About 770 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 130 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located, according to the program. In addition, about 150 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2025 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 382,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title, according to the program.

NMS is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.