Every year a million and a half high school juniors in about 22,000 high schools take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). This serves as an initial screen of program entrants. Those students who score higher than a certain level (the qualifying score) are chosen to be semifinalists (see below for recent qualifying scores by state, but be aware that it changes yearly). About 16,000 students are designated semifinalists.

Those selected as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists must submit an extensive application which includes an essay and information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions.

About 7,800 Finalists are selected and they recieve National Merit Scholarships totaling nearly $35 million. In addition, about 1,300 National Merit® Program participants, who are outstanding but not Finalists, are awarded Special Scholarships provided by corporations and business organizations.
 

Eligibility:

• You must take the PSAT/NMSQT® in the specified year of the high school program and no later than the third year in grades 9 through 12, regardless of grade classification or educational pattern;
• You must be enrolled as a high school student, progressing normally toward graduation or completion of high school, and planning to enroll full time in college no later than the fall following completion of high school; and
• You must be a citizen of the United States; or be a U.S. lawful permanent resident (or have applied for permanent residence, the application for which has not been denied) and intend to become a U.S. citizen at the earliest opportunity allowed by law.

These are the scores, by state, for winners in a past year. The scores for the current year will be different, but probably close to the scores below.