The National Merit Scholars Association has announced the year’s National Merit Semifinalists. The community at Ranch was especially celebratory, as five seniors were included on the list. The students who qualified are seniors Randa Foote, Jane He, Ravichand Ramireddy, Rashni Thacil, and David Zhou.

“I was happy and thrilled that I got this amazing award,” Ramireddy said.

To qualify as a National Merit Semifinalist, these students had to score within the top 1% of all PSAT test-takers in the United States. This will qualify these students for scholarships given by the organization and others.

When asked what motivated them to secure this high score, the semifinalists attributed their success to their preparation.

“I took a lot of practice tests,” Thachil said. “I made sure I really knew how the test was set up.”

Preparation wasn’t the only thing that helped them achieve these high scores, however.

“It’s just personal pressure, pressure you put on yourself to succeed and do well on the test,” Zhou said. “I believe that helps you do better than what you can do normally.”

Our seniors are five out of 16,000 students who have been recognized as National Merit Semifinalists nationwide, showing that Cy Ranch has achieved an excellent standard of education.

“I think it’s a symbol of pride for what those students have done,” said Associate Principal Robert Brotemarkle. “It shows off how great this school is.”