King School is thrilled to announce that Ben Persily ’23 won the prestigious National Merit $2500 Scholarship. The award is the culmination of two years of competition; winners were announced on Wednesday, May 10.

“I was ecstatic to learn that I had won the scholarship,” said Ben, the valedictorian for the Class of 2023. “Not only did I win $2500, but this scholarship is widely renowned, and I knew it would help in my college applications.”

Over 1.5 million students from about 21,000 high schools entered the competition, which began in October 2021 when high school juniors took the Preliminary SAT (PSAT.) The highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named semifinalists. For Connecticut, that meant earning a PSAT score of 1470 or higher, with 1520 being perfect. 

From the semifinalist group, over 15,000 students met very high academic standards to advance. By the conclusion of the 2023 program, approximately 7,140 finalists earned the title.

“First, I had to score high enough on the PSAT to be considered a semifinalist,” Ben said, describing the process as similar to that of college applications. “Following this, I submitted an essay and some info about my extracurriculars. Then, in about October, I was told I was a finalist. After that, I just had to wait until later in the year to find out I had won the scholarship.”

Director of College Counseling Jessica Landis said that though King has had finalists in the past, this is the first time in her ten-year tenure that a King student has earned this level of recognition.

“Ben has had numerous achievements over his years at King,” said Landis. “I am very happy to see him recognized nationally for all that he has accomplished in the classroom, the lab, and beyond.”

Ben credits King, and the college counseling of Landis, with helping him prepare for the PSAT.

“It was very helpful that King held the PSAT for me to take in junior year,” he said. “Furthermore, through its college counseling – shoutout to Ms. Landis – I was able to receive lots of help on the college application, and therefore the PSAT finalist application.”

Winners are judged to have the strongest combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Ben will enter the University of Pennsylvania’s Diana and Roy Vagelos Life Sciences and Management dual degree program in the Fall.

“Through this program, which has only 24 students per class, I will earn a degree in biology with a concentration in cellular and molecular biology from the College of Arts and Sciences and a second degree from the Wharton School,” said Ben. “I am so excited to head to college to continue my research endeavors to make discoveries to help as many people as I can.”

As Ben gears up to deliver the valedictory speech at graduation, he is reflecting on his time at King.

“Working with so many incredible peers and faculty has truly been life changing, and has prepared me so much for college and beyond,” he said. “The opportunities and relationships King provides are second to none.”