MacArthur student named National Merit Semifinalist

Dylan Helvey hopes to follow in his big brother’s footsteps. The 17-year-old MacArthur High School senior has been named a National Merit Semifinalist. His big brother, Hunter, was named a Finalist three years ago.

Helvey is one of two National Merit Semifinalists from Lawton and one of 16,000 Semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program who will have an opportunity to compete for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million. 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, according to a press release from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

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 1 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, according to a press release from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

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, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Helvey found out the good news on Friday when Principal Danny Smith and Counselor Jennifer Hoffman showed up in his speech class with a bouquet of green, white and gold balloons.

“I’m very happy,” he said. “I had been anxiously waiting because I knew September was when the announcement came out. So I was very surprised.”

Helvey is on the Speech and Debate team and Academic team and is treasurer of the National Honor Society.

He is considering a career in business, but is keeping his options open. He has decided on a college though.

“I’m considering the University of Tulsa. I like their scholarship options,” he said.

Being named a National Merit Scholar opens lots of doors, he said.

“This is a big resume item for college,” he said.

Helvey has the opportunity to become a National Merit Finalist; those scholars will be announced next year.