Saint Peter High School senior Daniel Zhang has earned the National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA) which is an academic honor from the College Board National Recognition program. These programs celebrate students’ hard work in high school and showcase their strong academic performance.
The NRSTA academic honor is an opportunity for students to share their strong academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs that are seeking to recruit diverse talent.
“It felt extremely gratifying knowing that the hours I put into studying and preparing for school paid off in some way,” Zhang said. “I also felt grateful for the great opportunities and teachers this school has provided me, which enabled me to try my hardest to achieve this award.”
“We’re thrilled to celebrate our students and recognize them for the great work they’ve been doing. We’re proud of their strong academic performance in the classroom and on College Board assessments like the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10, and AP exams,” SPHS Counselor Regina Sirianni said. “There’s so much that makes our students unique, and receiving this honor reinforces this as an asset for their futures.”
The criteria for eligible students in the NRSTA program include:
- GPA of 3.5 or higher.
- PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 assessment scores that are within the top 10% of assessment takers in each state for each award program or earned a score of 3 or higher on 2 or more AP Exams in 9th and 10th grade.
- Attend school in a rural area.
Eligible students are invited to apply on BigFuture during their sophomore or junior year and are awarded at the start of the next school year in time to share their achievements in high school as they plan for the future. At the same time, colleges and organizations using College Board’s Student Search Service can connect directly with awardees during the recruitment process.
“It’s becoming increasingly hard for students to be ‘seen’ during the college recruitment process. We’re exceptionally proud of the National Recognition Programs for celebrating students who are at times overlooked but have shown their outstanding academic abilities,” said Tarlin Ray, senior vice president of BigFuture at College Board. “This is a benefit not only for students but also for colleges and universities committed to recruiting diverse and talented students.”