Prospect High Seniors Score Big on PSATs

This time of year, juniors are taking their PSATs, readying themselves for college applications and exams.

For 11 seniors, their test scores have not only put them in a good position for their colleges of choice but have also garnered them some attention.

These 11 seniors are being recognized by the College Board for their high scores on the exam.

"This speaks to the excellence of this particular class, the class of 2012, not just what the high school is doing," says Prospect High School Principal Diane Burbank. "It speaks of the middle schools that they came from, the elementary schools and the parents turning off the TV. It's really about what has been their lifelong effort."

The College Board, founded in 1900 for the purpose of facilitating equal access to a college education through a democratic process--the general entrance exam, now known as the SAT.

"We're excited for them, for their families," Burbank says. "I would say that this recognition is the gold standard recognized by colleges. It really puts their college application in the short pile."

Here is how the students scored and what they are being recognized for, provided by Burbank:

• Prospect High School senior Natasha Flowers scored in the top 16,000 scores of the 1.5 million students who took the standardized test in 2010. She is a National Merit Semi-finalist and moves forward in the scholarship competition.
• Nine Prospect High School seniors-- Stephanie Cheuk, Sabrina Dean, Jack Eyers, Jennifer Huang, James Lewis, Evelyn Liu, Natalie Luttrell, Sirpi Nackeeran, and Amish Wahal-- are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise by scoring in the top 5 percent or 35,000 scores of the 1.5 million students who took the standardized test in 2010. They are National Merit Commended Students.
• Prospect High School senior Myah Rodriguez is being recognized as a Semifinalist in the 2012 National Achievement Scholarship Program, an academic competition for Black American high school students.