AHN Celebrates Semifinalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Competition

We are thrilled to announce that two students from the Academy of the Holy Names have been named semifinalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program: Lilly Leach and Gabrielle Marquez.

Lilly and Gabrielle have achieved this recognition through their exemplary academic performance and high scores on the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). This accomplishment places them among the top 1% of U.S. high school seniors. They are now in the running for prestigious National Merit Scholarships, along with over 16,000 students nationwide, who are recognized for their academic excellence and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

As semifinalists, both Lilly and Gabrielle will submit a detailed scholarship application, including an essay, their academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership experiences, and other honors and awards. The Academy will also provide a recommendation as part of their submission. These applications are due in early October.

By February 2025, we expect that about 95% of semifinalists will advance to finalist status, with approximately half of these students earning a National Merit Scholarship. Scholarship awards will be announced in the spring of 2025.

We congratulate Lilly and Gabrielle on this outstanding achievement and wish them the best of luck as they continue in the competition!