COMPETITION: Zubin Mishra is a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
By Jasmine Arenas, Staff Writer
The PSAT is a nationwide multiple-choice primer test, which is taken by many sophomores and juniors in high school. This test helps prepare students for their SATs, which help colleges determine whether or not a student is qualified for their university. The National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic competition for recognition and university scholarships. Zubin Mishra (12) became a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship Program, after he qualified for it with a PSAT score of 233, one of the highest scores in the state. Mishra began preparing for the PSAT in the seventh grade at the same time as his older brother, who was already in high school.
Mishra stated that his biggest influences in shaping his academic career are his parents. “They had high expectations for me when I was younger,” he said. This motivated him to set even higher academic standards for himself. However, Mishra’s academic success did not come without some adversity. He admits that issues surfaced because of how absorbed he became in his studies. He said, “I used to not notice when I was sick because of how engrossed I was in my studies.” This made his parents worry, so Mishra had to find a healthy balance.
The advice Mishra gives to both future and current students is to find internal motivation.“If you don’t have someone to give you that initial push, then you’ll have to provide it for yourself,” he explained. Mishra also advises his peers to reward themselves for their hard work. The way Mishra does this is by spending more time with friends.
Becoming a semifinalist is an extraordinary achievement; however, Mishra is not stopping there. Finalists can win money from the National Merit Scholarship Program and are often given offers from colleges and corporations. Mishra recently submitted an application to be considered for a position as a finalist and will find out whether or not he has made it in February of 2015.