Out of every high school senior in America, around 16,000 became National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists this year—one percent of the class of 2024. Westmont is lucky to represent two of these outstanding students; congratulations to Akilesh Subramaniam and Lisa Ido!
Currently, Ido is a part of the middle college program which Westmont and West Valley College offer. Subramaniam, however, walks the halls of Westmont. The brilliant senior gives us his outlook.
Subramaniam explains the process of becoming a Merit Scholar, noting how, in California, one first must earn around a 1500 on the 1520 PSAT scale—an impressive feat to begin with. Moving forward, the National Merit Scholar Corporation selects their Semifinalists, who proceed in a lengthy process of applying: submitting an essay, SAT scores, and descriptions of one’s extracurricular activities. Next, one’s school counselor submits the student’s grades, transcripts, and a letter of recommendation.
“I’m rather happy for being able to become a Merit Scholar,” proudly writes Subramaniam. “It’s really a symbol of how far I’ve come.”
Wishing for other students to succeed, Subramaniam also offers tips for students taking the PSAT. Given his extraordinary achievements, I’d heed his advice:
“I would heavily recommend simply studying for the SAT. Scoring high on the SAT (in one sitting, don’t superscore!) should reflect the ability to do the same on the PSAT, which is scaled down and far easier. SAT Practice Tests are readily available on Khan Academy and various other sites provide testing questions that should help you score well. Good luck!”
Thank you to Subramaniam for the wonderful insight, and congratulations to Westmont’s exceptional two students!