National Merit Recognizes 13 YISS Seniors

Written by Lorena Meadows, Director of High School Counseling

Several YISS high school students have been recognized by the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. These honors are based on scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) exams students took in October 2024.

This recognition is a testament to YISS students’ dedication and places them among the top academic achievers.

How the Program Works

Each year, over 1.3 million students enter the competition by taking the PSAT. Only a small percentage earn formal recognition:

• Commended Students: About 34,000 students recognized for their exceptional academic promise.

• Semi-finalists: The highest-scoring 16,000 students (less than 1%) who now have the opportunity to compete for Finalist status and scholarships.

• Finalists: Roughly 15,000 students who meet additional high academic standards and receive official certificates of merit.

We are pleased to celebrate the following YISS students:

Semi-finalist:
Oliver Chin

Commended Students:
Maxwell H. Gong
Kaiden L. Holst
David S. Jin
Brooke Y. Lai
Andrew H. Lee
Claire A. Lee
Dylan J. Lee
Jeremy Lee
Jonathan Y. Moon
Nathaniel K. Nam
Kirsten J. Park
Emma Kayun Shin

Congratulations to these students on their hard work and success!

For more information about the National Merit Scholarship Program, visit their official website at www.nationalmerit.org.