Every year, many Aliso Niguel seniors apply to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in hopes of earning a college scholarship. The scholarships are awarded based on academic achievements and extracurricular activities, which includes standardized test scores, grades throughout high school, volunteering and leadership roles.
The four finalists of 2025 from Aliso Niguel High School are Danielle, Jackson, Noah and Ian. These seniors have all worked extremely hard to even be considered for the award, let alone earning the title of finalists. These finalists have made it from simply being applicants to semifinalists to now being one of four people vying for the victory of the national merit scholarship.
Even those finalists who do not win the scholarship from the competition are eligible to earn a $2500 Scholarship Award or a sponsored scholarship. The corporation lists applicants, especially finalists, as able to be supported by these companies if they want to provide a fund.
The goals of the National Merit Scholarship as described in the website’s guide are to “identify and honor academically talented U.S. high school students and encourage them to pursue rigorous college studies.”
It tries to curb the difficulty of paying tuition to a top university in the country to motivate intelligent students to follow their passions and become more educated. It also allows organizations to sponsor scholarships for outstanding students in a way that gives back from corporate to the communities.
To apply, students must start the application process by taking the PSAT or the NMSQT, a national merit specific test to qualify. Students who passed the barrier of the scoring criteria then become semifinalists in the scholarship competition. Then, the semifinalists must be recommended by the principal, demonstrate continued academic performance in high school, complete the NMSC Online Scholarship Application and take the SAT/ACT to confirm the accuracy of previous scores.
At this point in the process, students move from simply excelling on standardized tests to putting in the extra effort to apply and receive recommendations based on their character as well.
The OSA requires applicants to write a personal essay and list their extracurricular activities including volunteer work, employment, awards and leadership roles. The activities are taken into account with the scores and grades to determine the overall most-deserving winner of the scholarship. Winners will be chosen by the sponsor institutions and they will be notified by the end of March, yet the money will not be sent until early May.
The scholarship can have a major impact on the student who receives it as they have another bonus to add to their amazing accomplishments and it can help them pay for college. In many cases, the most well-known universities for high academic pursuits in college are not the cheapest options. Thus, the national merit scholarship can change the recipient’s future by allowing them to attend more expensive programs, especially when added to other scholarships many students apply to.
