San Jose High School Fields Thirty-Eight Merit Finalists

San Jose, CA. - A group of students at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley is earning national recognition for exceptional academic achievement, with 38 seniors named National Merit Finalists. The achievement places them among the top-performing students in the United States.

The honor is part of the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program, which recognizes students based on their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT. Each year, approximately 1.3 million high school juniors enter the competition, but only a small percentage advance to the finalist stage.

At BASIS Independent Silicon Valley, the accomplishment stands out not only for its scale but also for its depth. In addition to the 38 finalists, the school has also produced 40 semifinalists and 51 commended students this year, demonstrating a strong culture of academic excellence across its student body.

“These recognitions reflect years of sustained academic commitment from our students, as well as their meaningful contributions to their schools and communities," said Toby Walker, Vice President of BASIS Independent Schools. "Consistently impressive results like these speak to the strength of our curriculum and philosophy across all BASIS Independent School campuses.”

Becoming a National Merit Finalist places students in roughly the top 1% of all test-takers nationwide. Finalists are evaluated not only on their test scores, but also on academic records, extracurricular involvement, leadership qualities, and endorsements from school officials.