LAFAYETTE, La (KLFY) — Excitement is in the air at Lafayette Parish Schools, after four students were named as semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship, according to a press release.

The four students who all attend Lafayette High School are Michelle J. Edsavettal. David A. Gutierrez, Isaac Kim, and Maggie X. They were selected based on their academic achievements along with their performance on the PSAT. The PSAT servers as the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Each of these students has a grade point average of 4.0 or above. The students are now eligible for many scholarships, which are often offered by colleges of National Merit finalists.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships
that began in 1955. Approximately 1.5 million high school students enter the program each year.
Of the 1.5 million entrants, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT® Selection Index scores
(calculated by doubling the sum of the reading, writing and language, and math test scores) qualify for
recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program.