Naugatuck High School senior, Amy Morrissey is a semi-finalist in the National Merit Scholarship, an annual nationwide contest among high school students at the top of their class. The prize is scholarship money.
Amy Morrissey is an athlete who plays tennis and swims. Additionally, she is a member of a number of different clubs at Naugatuck High School, such as DECA, Sunrise, and a member of the National Society just to name a few.
Morrissey and many others are glad to see her diligence and hard work pay off. Being selected as a semifinalist in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program is an outstanding accomplishment for Amy and for our community! Less than 1% of the nation’s high school Seniors qualify based on their scores.
The National Merit Scholarship offers 2,500 dollars to the contestants who make it to the final round. Students have three possible scholarships they can be awarded, such as the National Merit, Corporate Sponsored Scholarship, and College Sponsored Merit Scholarship.
The contest begins with approximately 50,000 students receiving recognition. By early September, only 16,000 applicants were selected as semi-finalists, Morrissey being one of the lucky few.
Those wishing to apply must submit a PSAT score in the top 1% of their state and attain a 3.5+ GPA for the entirety of their high school career. A PSAT score of 1470 or above is needed to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship.
“It definitely took a lot of studying to get this level, since it meant doing well on the PSAT,” said Amy Morrissey in an interview with The Greyhound. “I made sure I was paying attention in class and always asking questions when I did not understand things.
Additionally when filling out their applications candidates must list their achievements, honors, and activities along with a personal essay.
Administrators also played a part in the application process to confirm that Amy is in good standing with the high school staff.
“It seemed like an opportunity too good to pass up since the scholarships are very generous,” said Morrissey.
Amy took PSAT prep very seriously, using prior PSATs along with some online and offline resources such as Khan Academy and class time to her advantage.
“‘[She] used Khan Academy to improve in areas that [she] hadn’t yet mastered. Reaching out to [her] teachers in those subject areas, if further clarification or instruction is needed,” said Amy’s mother, Kathleen Morrissey in an interview with The Greyhound.
Not only does the Merit Scholarship assist in paying for college, but it also looks great when filling out applications.
“This is something that colleges love to see on an application, it shows that you took the test [PSAT] seriously and did well on it. It’s a great thing to be able to add to my college applications to show the schools that I’m applying to that I worked really hard to achieve results that I’m very proud of.” Believes Morrissey
As of now Morrissey’s part in the application process is done, she is now awaiting to hear back about the next round, seeing if she will move forward to the finals and then from there advance to be named a merit scholar recipient.
Hard work and consistency have paid off for this senior and the community of NHS is proud of Amy Morrissey and can’t wait to see what she accomplishes in the future.
