Bethel Park High School senior Lyla Walsh has achieved recognition for academic excellence from the National Merit Scholarship (NMS) Corporation as a 2025 NMS finalist. Lyla is part of an esteemed group among her peers nationwide, with only 15,000 NMS finalists eligible for competition among 6,870 scholarships totaling over $26 million. This honor places Lyla in the top one percent of U.S. high school seniors.
Entrance into this prestigious competition begins with the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) during the student's junior year. Of the 1.5 million yearly entrants, approximately 50,000 have the highest PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index scores and qualify for NMS recognition.
The National Merit Scholarship Program, which started in 1955, attracts about 1.5 million students from over 21,000 high schools annually. Mr. Joseph Villani, the Principal of Bethel Park High School, expressed pride in Walsh’s achievement, attributing it to her hard work and dedication to learning.
All finalists like Lyla will be considered for the National Merit Scholarship Awards in 2025. The final selection is underway, with winners to be notified later in March and public announcements by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation throughout the spring and summer.
“We are all so proud of Lyla for being named a National Merit Finalist, and wish her well as she continues to advance in this national recognition scholarship program," Mr. Joseph Villani, Bethel Park High School Principal, said. "Being in this exclusive national group of students reflects all the hard work and dedication she has put into her academic progress.”