Plymouth Whitemarsh High School students achieve Semifinalist status in National Merit Scholarship Program

Three Plymouth Whitemarsh High School seniors have been named Semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program, joining a pool of students representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors.

Adyanta Anand, Alex Babka, and Parker Powley are part of an elite group of students who scored the highest in the state on the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The students are now eligible to become Finalists and earn academic scholarships.

Alex said it was “satisfying and rewarding” to find out he had made Semifinalist status, although he had some inkling based on his high test scores. 

“I was pretty surprised,” said Adyanta, who took the test twice. 

All three students are planning to attend college upon graduation, but none have decided yet where they will go.

Parker said she hopes to study chemistry and is looking to apply to schools on the West coast, such as Stanford, Berkeley, and UCLA. She is president of the Gay Straight Alliance, a member of the Intersectional Feminism Club, and a member of the Book Club.

Adyanta, a member of the Computer Science Club, hopes to study computer engineering, but has not yet committed to a particular university. Alex is President of the Math Club and a captain for the swim team, and said he is planning to study math. Princeton University is among his top choices for schools.

All three students can apply to become a Finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program. To become a Finalist, students must submit a detailed scholarship application including information about the student’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment, and awards and honors received.