Ranking in the top one half of 1 percent of Indiana PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitutde Test) takers, five National Merit Semifinalists were named Sept. 14.

Michael Graczyk, Roli Mandhana, Michael McNicholas, Thomas Paliga and John Wadas, seniors, were five of approximately 16,000 high-scoring students across the country honored with the Semifinalist status of the 1.3 million juniors that took the PSAT last September.

According to Assistant Principal Mr. Donald Zeller, the prestigious acknowledgement as a Semifinalist allows a student the chance to become a Finalist in February by submitting an application, a personal essay, and letters of recommendation from guidance counselors.

"The students here should be proud because we've always had a good amount of Finalists," Mr. Zeller said. "If a student is a National Merit Semifinalist, that shows a lot of achievement.

Finalists will be honored at a special award banquet this spring, along with a photograph posted on the "Pride in Excellence" wall in the Commons. Becoming a Finalist also enables students to receive a $2500 National Merit Scholarship, a college-sponsored scholarship, or a corporate-sponsored scholarship. John Wadas is aiming to become a finalist for this monetary support.

"It's encouraging because I'm eligible for merit-based financial aid," John said.

However scoring well on the PSAT did not come easily, according to John, who took a specialized course to prepare for the test.

"Even though the PSAT courses are a bit tedious, I think they prepare you well," John said.

The PSAT, required for juniors and optional for sophomores, will be offered free of charge Wednesday, Oct. 12. Roli Mandhana took the PSAT for a practice run as a sophomore. Although sophomore scores are not included in the National Merit program rankings, taking the test ahead of time will help prepare you as a junior, according to Roli.

She also says that staying relaxed is the best route to take during the test.

"Don't get nervous and keep your calm," Roli said. "Schoolwork has prepared you for it well."

Eleven seniors were also recognized as Commended Students Sept. 14, which make up the top 3 percent of Indiana's students. Brett Anderson, Natalie Banka, Scott Goodwin, Jennifer Jamicich, Heather Phipps, Peter Puthenveetil, David Siukola, Lisa Sobilo, Nick Stolarz, Mark Webster and Matt Westerlund, seniors, received a letter of Commendation congratulating them on their academic effort.