2025 National Merit Semifinalists

September 10, 2024

Five Bishop Kelley Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists!

SEMIFINALISTS IN THE 2025 NATIONAL MERIT® SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM


(Evanston, Illinois) Today officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, including the following Bishop Kelley High School students:


Micah Cutsinger

Noah Hart

Elisabeth McIntosh

Daniel Papa

Divya Thomas


These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title. 


NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 280 business organizations, higher education institutions, and individual donors that share NMSC's goals of honoring the nation's scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence. 


Steps in the 2025 Competition 

Over 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state's percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. 


To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist's academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student's earlier performance on the qualifying test. 


From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. 


National Merit Scholarships 

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2025. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 770 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 130 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor's employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 150 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution. 


National Merit Scholarship winners of 2025 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 382,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title. 


# # # 

April 28, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TULSA, OK – Bishop Kelley High School is pleased to welcome Vince Davis as an assistant coach for football and track and as a full-time substitute teacher for the 2025-2026 academic year. Coach Davis brings extensive coaching and educational experience to the Bishop Kelley community, along with a strong commitment to student-athlete development both on and off the field. Coach Davis previously served as Varsity Football Offensive Coordinator at Porter High School, implementing strategic offensive game plans and managing game flow analytics. His coaching career also includes experience at Broken Arrow High School, where he coached varsity running backs, leading them to over 7,800 yards and 70 touchdowns. In track, he notably coached state champions in the 100m, 200m, 4x200 relay, and long jump, underscoring his expertise in athlete and performance development. Coach Davis also has a distinguished educational career, currently serving as an E2020-Edgenuity Teacher at Porter High School, monitoring student progress and contributing to student engagement and school culture. His previous roles include teaching Business and Technology at Broken Arrow and Owasso High Schools, founding the Black Student Association at Broken Arrow, and serving as advisor for various student organizations. "We are thrilled to welcome Coach Davis to the Bishop Kelley community," said Lance Parks, Bishop Kelley Athletic Director. "His proven track record of developing student-athletes academically and athletically makes him an outstanding addition to our coaching staff and faculty." Davis earned his Master's in Business Administration from Southern Nazarene University, a Bachelor of Arts from Northeastern State University, and an Associate of Arts in Journalism from Bacone College. About Bishop Kelley School Bishop Kelley School is a Catholic diocesan high school located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which focuses on preparing students' hearts and minds for a purposeful life, for college and beyond. Founded in 1960, the school offers a rigorous academic curriculum, a wide range of extracurricular activities, and a deep commitment to spiritual formation. Bishop Kelley strives to educate the whole person, empowering students to become responsible, faith-filled leaders in their communities.
April 1, 2025
Click here for 2024-2025 Q3 A Honor Roll Click here for 2024-2025 Q3 B Honor Rol l Stellar work, Comets!