Ten McAllen ISD seniors have earned the top ranking as Scholars by the College Board’s 2021 National Recognition Program. It is an honor that places these students in the top 2.5 percent in the nation.
The 10 honorees include:
Achieve Early College High School
- Carolina Castillo — National Hispanic Recognition Program
- Yarritzi Flores — National Hispanic Recognition Program
McAllen Memorial High School
- Mia Honrubia — National Hispanic Recognition Program
- Nicolas Houghton — National African American Recognition Program
- Carlos G. Lopez — National Hispanic Recognition Program
- Maya G. Peralez— National Hispanic Recognition Program
- Sofia Sahadi— National Hispanic Recognition Program
James “Nikki” Rowe High School
- Kayla Y. Perez— National Hispanic Recognition Program
- Deyanira Rodriguez — National Hispanic Recognition Program
- Dante Solano— National Hispanic Recognition Program
These 10 seniors now qualify for prestigious scholarships based on their PSAT scores. McAllen ISD will honor them in a virtual presentation to the Board of Trustees on Monday, December 7.
These students earned this recognition after taking the PSAT/NMSQT.
Each year, about 1.6 million juniors take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). The PSAT/NMSQT is practice for the SAT. What makes the PSAT/NMSQT unique from the rest of the tests in the SAT Suite of Assessments is that it is the qualifying test for the National Merit® Scholarship Program. The top performers on the PSAT/NMSQT can qualify for scholarships and recognition from this prestigious award program.
Students who take the PSAT/NMSQT and are African American, Hispanic American or Latino, indigenous, or attend school in a rural area or small town, could be invited to apply for academic recognition as part of the College Board National Recognition Programs.* To be considered for recognition, students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher by the middle of their junior year. They must also meet or exceed the PSAT regional cutoff score for the Southern Region which was 1370.
Each year, the National Hispanic/African American Recognition Program honors about 5,000 of the 250,000 Hispanic test takers. That means they are in the top 2.5 percent among Hispanic American or African American PSAT test takers in their region. They can apply to earn academic recognition. Although this does not provide a financial reward, individual colleges and universities may award scholarships and students should state this achievement on their college applications.
*The College Board National Recognition Programs are neither affiliated with nor endorsed by National Merit Scholarship Corporation or the National Merit Scholarship Program®.