Three Meridian seniors are among one million students nationwide who took the P-SAT and placed among the top 1% as National Merit semi-finalists.

Because of their high scores, all are now in the running in the very prestigious National Merit competition.

"You're talking about the top 1% in the nation of students in academic achievement and their abilities to be able to go wherever and study whatever they want to at a phenomenal rate," said MHS principal Vicky Hood. "So, for Meridian, Miss., it definitely is outstanding."

Each year about 8,000 National Merit finalists are selected. This year 144 of those semi-finalists are from Mississippi. Of that group, the three MHS students are in the top seventeen in the state.

"Well, I was just flabbergasted. I mean, this is just such an honor," said Katherine Forester.

"I called my dad. He planned a party," said Henk Both. "It was wonderful."

"Now, I can pick different places that I may want to go to that I might not have considered before," said Meredith Wilson.

That's because scholarships often follow.

"With their accomplishments they'll be able to go anywhere in the nation and even abroad to study," said Hood. "And hopefully with a lot of scholarship money behind them."

"I'm considering going to college or going to be a missionary, in like, Africa," said Both.

"I don't really know. Just go to college like everybody else. No specifics yet," Forester said of her plans.

"I really don't know," said Wilson. "I'm just trying to figure out what college I want to go to right now."

The three are expected to find out if they are chosen as national merit finalists in February.