City High announced the names of its National Merit Semifinalists this past September. The four seniors who qualified were announced as Kaden Huntley, Nicole Peterson, Nina Peterson, and Owen Ruth. 

“I already knew that I was above the score benchmark for Iowa, so it was just a surprise as to when it was announced,” Nicole Peterson ‘25 said.

This prestigious title of semifinalist is achieved by less than 1% of high school seniors in the United States, and getting to this point is not easy. To qualify for this honor, sophomores and juniors must score in the top 1% of PSAT takers. 

“To qualify for National Merit, you have to get a certain score on the PSAT your junior year; what scores will qualify varies by state. I took the PSAT in 10th grade just to try it out and get a feel for that kind of test, and I re-took it the next year. I actually never studied for the PSAT at any point; I think what helped me the most was taking AP tests, standardized tests, and the PSAT10 and just getting comfortable with the test-taking process,” Nina Peterson ‘25 said.

Now the next step for potential finalists is submitting SAT or ACT scores, a letter of recommendation, and an essay by the semifinalist. For both Peterson siblings, this opportunity is especially meaningful, as their mother was a National Merit Scholar. 

It would give me a lot of confidence going into the admissions process, knowing that I have something that can help me stand out.” Nina Peterson said.