5 AISD Students Nationally Recognized for PSAT Scores

Commended Scholars are among the nation’s top 5 percent. Hispanic Scholars are among the top 2.5 percent of Hispanic and Latino test takers.

Josefina Mendoza received her Letter of Commendation. Josefina is a Commended Scholar in the National Merit Scholarship Program. She is a senior at MacArthur High School.

About 1.6 million juniors enter the National Merit® Scholarship Program each year by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). The test serves as an initial screen of program entrants. Some 50,000 with the highest scores qualify for recognition.

Josefina is one of approximately 34,000 Commended Scholar nationwide. Commended Scholars place among the top five percent of tests takers.

Commended Scholars do not compete for National Merit Scholarship awards.

According to the PSAT/NMSQT Program, Commended Scholars “are recognized for their exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the qualifying test.”

The National Hispanic Recognition Program (NHRP) also recognized four other Aldine ISD students. They are Denisse Córdova, Jesse Gonzales and Stephanie Niño de Rivera from MacArthur High School as well as Adrián Garza from Carver High School.

The NHRP identifies academically outstanding Hispanic/Latino high school seniors. The program provided the information is to universities. Students enter the program by taking the PSAT/NMSQT.

Each year, the NHRP honors about 5,000 of the 250,000 Hispanic test takers. The National Merit Program looks at students who score in the top 2.5 percent among Hispanic and Latino PSAT test takers in their region. They can apply to earn academic recognition. The NHRP does not provide a financial reward. Yet earning the academic recognition is important. Students should state this achievement on their college applications.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a not-for-profit organization. The corporation works with approximately 500 business organizations and higher education institutions. They all share its goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation and partners encourage the pursuit of academic excellence.

Congratulations!