This year, Cypress Ranch proudly celebrates four of its students being named National Merit Semifinalists, placing them in the top 1 percent of PSAT test takers nationwide.

The PSAT consists of two sections: Reading & Writing and Math. Each section has a maximum score of 760, bringing the total possible score to 1520. Students with top scores earn the prestigious opportunity to be recognized as National Merit Semifinalists, a distinction awarded to the highest achievers across the country.

Semifinalist senior Benjamin Foley shared his preparations leading up to the test that helped him earn this prestigious achievement.

“I probably took around 10 practice tests in the weeks leading up to it, including paper ones, even though the test was digital,” Foley said. “I also used Khan Academy a lot. My goal was to practice as much as possible to get a feel for the test questions.”

Though the PSAT is mainly a measure of academic skills, some semifinalists believe a bit of luck played a part in their success as well.

“When it’s a test day, I set my alarm for a time that ends with 10 because 10 is my lucky number,” Foley said. “I feel like that was also a big factor that helped with my score.”

Despite relying on preparation and luck, the students were confident in their abilities.

“ I was pretty confident,” senior Varun Akondy said. “There were a couple of questions that I was unsure on, but I think overall, I was pretty confident with my performance, and I felt that it represented my academic abilities.”

Cypress Ranch’s achievement of having four National Merit Semifinalists this year has inspired many younger Mustangs to follow in the same footsteps. The semifinalists also shared advice for future PSAT takers.

“I would just say practice, practice, practice,” Akondy said. “The more you can practice, the better. Of course, practice doesn’t make you perfect, but it can make you get as close to perfection as humanly possible.”