TABC is proud to announce three students who are National Merit Scholar semifinalists this year: Tani Greengart ‘18, Yosef Kahan ‘18 and Shlomi Helfgot ‘18. This outstanding achievement ranks TABC as second among all of the yeshivot in the Tri-State area.

Last year, approximately 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as the initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, which this year is 16,000 students, represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, and includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,400 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to finalist standing. About 90 % of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and around half of the finalists will win National Merit Scholarships, earning the Merit Scholar title.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 440 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

TABC takes great pride in the accomplishments of its National Merit semifinalists and the academic achievements of all its students in a variety of different areas and disciplines.