Top ranked college preparatory school in the United States is ranked #1 in National Merit Scholars for 11 years

The prestigious American Heritage School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is the #1 private school in the United States and #1 high school in Florida for the highest number of National Merit Scholars; the school’s second campus in Boca Raton is #2 in National Merit Scholars out of all private schools in Florida. Their combined students from both campuses comprise 10 percent of all National Merit Scholars throughout the 2,227 public and private schools in Florida.

A total of 77 seniors were named National Merit Semifinalists, and 52 seniors earned National Commended Scholar status. The students were top scorers in Florida on the PSAT exam they took junior year, which served as the National Merit Scholarship qualifying test. Most Semifinalists advance to “Finalist” status in the spring and are eligible to receive college scholarships.

This marks the 11th consecutive year American Heritage has had the highest number of National Merit Semifinalists in Florida. One in four students in the Class of 2021 scored in the top one percent of students in the nation.

“I am so proud of these students for earning this extremely prestigious award,” said Dr. Douglas Laurie, president of American Heritage Schools. “Not only are they nationally recognized as the top one percent academically, but they are also extremely well-rounded, excelling both in and out of the classroom in fine arts, sports, and community service,” Laurie added.

In addition to the millions of dollars in possible scholarships, these bright students now have new opportunities for college and confidence about their futures. According to the National Merit Scholarship organization, colleges such as Harvard, Stanford, University of Chicago, and Vanderbilt enroll the greatest number of National Merit Scholars.

American Heritage Class of 2014 alum, Dylan Cahill, reflects on the benefits of earning the merit-based award. “Becoming a National Merit Finalist was a stepping stone on my way to attending Dartmouth and ultimately Harvard Medical School,” said Cahill. “It gave me the tools to excel on future exams and the confidence as a student to propel me forward in my journey to medical school.”

American Heritage School is the #1 private school in Florida for nationally recognized scholars in math competition, science fair, mock trial, moot court, and speech and debate. American Heritage School alumni are notable leaders in their chosen fields who are generating positive differences in the world. American Heritage School is an independent, non-sectarian, co-educational, college preparatory school in South Florida serving grades PK3 to 12.

For more information about the National Merit Scholarship Program and American Heritage School, pleaseclick here to register for our Fall Virtual Open Houses. Dates and times for the online events:

• Broward Campus: October 17, 12:00 p.m. for grades PK-6, 2:00 p.m. for grades for 7-12.
• Palm Beach Campus: October 13, 9:30 a.m. for grades PK-5; October 17, 10:00 a.m. for 6-12.

About American Heritage School: American Heritage School, founded in 1965, is a nationally-ranked private, nonsectarian, and co-educational college preparatory day school with two 4O-acre campuses: one in Plantation, Florida, and one in Delray Beach, Florida. Its campuses serve approximately 4,500 students in Pre-K3 through 12th grades; the student body represents over 60 different countries throughout the world. About 70 percent of the faculty hold postgraduate degrees. American Heritage School is nationally and internationally accredited by the following associations: Association of Independent Schools of Florida (AISF), Middle States Association (MSA-CESS), National Council for Private Schools. The Lower School includes advanced classes and 15 electives, and the Upper School offers over 300 courses with 135 honors classes, 28 Advanced Placement classes, and 75 fine arts classes. Pre-professional programs are offered in pre-med, pre-law, pre-engineering, biomedical engineering, and computer science that are taught daily by doctors, surgeons, lawyers, judges, engineers, and computer scientists currently practicing in their fields. American Heritage School has, for 11 years, been ranked the # 1 high school in Florida for the highest number of National Merit Scholars, and the school is home to the # 1 math competition team out of all private schools in the U.S. The Model UN team is top 5 in the nation, and the Speech and Debate team is in the top 1% in the nation. It is ranked among the top private schools in Florida in STEM, according to Niche. Its Science Research Institute enables students to conduct research on real world problems, and its students have earned international recognition for their findings.