![Marley Handler poses for a photo in the library.]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1721741703/cincinnati/xkd8v3u2bmrvovepolbq/MarleyHandler_Web.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1721741703/cincinnati/xkd8v3u2bmrvovepolbq/MarleyHandler_Web.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1721741703/cincinnati/xkd8v3u2bmrvovepolbq/MarleyHandler_Web.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1721741703/cincinnati/xkd8v3u2bmrvovepolbq/MarleyHandler_Web.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1721741703/cincinnati/xkd8v3u2bmrvovepolbq/MarleyHandler_Web.jpg","width":1365}])
Marley Handler `24 has been named a finalist for one of the top academic awards in the country: the 2024 National Merit Scholar Award.
Handler qualified for the award by taking the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) her junior year of high school and scoring in the top 15,000 out of 1.3 million students. She was first named a semi-finalist and is now a finalist.
“It’s an honor,” says Handler about becoming a National Merit Scholar Finalist. “I’ve always worked very hard in school and tried to get good grades, but I also want to learn and know everything. I think my score and being recognized as a finalist reflects how effective it is to go above and beyond just memorizing facts.”
“Marley is a wonderful student, in every way,” says Sarah Beyreis, director of college counseling. “What’s really striking about Marley is that for someone so talented, she has wonderful humility, curiosity, and generosity. Marley never struts her stuff. She’s genuinely fascinated by how and why things work.”
Beyreis continues, “We have been so lucky to have Marley among us for so many years.”
Marley credits her teachers and classes at Country Day for helping her achieve such a high score on a nationally administered test.
“They [teachers] teach us how to problem solve by thinking through a problem as opposed to just memorizing facts and not understanding things,” she says. “I’ve never had a teacher tell me ‘no’ when I’ve wanted to learn more or asked them to go further into a subject. It’s just how we’ve always been taught at Country Day.”
What’s the biggest piece of advice that Handler has for those who have the goal of becoming a National Merit Finalist themselves? Don’t overthink it and trust yourself.
“I honestly didn’t study too much for it, besides brushing up a bit on geometry since it wasn’t my best subject,” Handler says. “The curriculum here [at Country Day] really prepares you for the test, especially if you’re already taking AP classes.”
Handler has decided to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology where she will major in aerospace engineering.