Blair celebrates its 36 National Merit semi-finalists

On Sept. 13, Blair celebrated its 36 National Merit semi-finalists with a reception in the Career Center.

Blair is home to the second most semi-finalists in the county, the first being Richard Montgomery with 39 semi-finalists. Maryland's semifinalist cutoff score was the second-highest in the nation.

Bryan Li, one of the semi-finalists, was surprised when he first saw his score. "There is some luck involved because you only take it once in 11th grade for the chance at NMSC and sometimes you get a problem that you make a mistake on," Li said. Compared to last year when three of Blair's semifinalists were finalists, Li feels there will be even more students moving through the ranks this year. "I feel like there are a lot of good people in our grade that have a chance at it," Li said.

Blair Merit Semi-Finalists

Photo: Blair's 36 National Merit semi-finalists were recognized in a reception on Sept. 13 (courtesy of Renay Johnson).

Blair's 36 National Merit semi-finalists were recognized in a reception on Sept. 13 (courtesy of Renay Johnson).

Of the 1.6 million high school entrants who took the PSAT, around 16,000 qualified as semi-finalists. This year, the semi-finalist cut-off score was 222, one point less than last year's. Blair produced fewer semi-finalists compared to last year's 42 semifinalists. Each year, approximately 15,000 semi-finalists move on to become finalists, winning $2,500 from the National Merit Scholar Program along with other outside scholarships.

The list of finalists will be released to the schools in early February.