National Merit semifinalist: Richard Lee | The Meadows School

■ What college do you plan on attending and for what major? I will attend Columbia University and will be majoring in economics or business management.

■ What extracurricular activities do you participate in, such as clubs, sports and volunteering?

I play varsity football and basketball. I am the Nevada state champion in chess and am also very involved in community service where I helped coach the Middle School West Prep chess team to second place in the state championship tournament.

■ What do you do for fun?

I like to play video games as well as fantasy football. I also enjoy listening to hip hop and going to the gym.

■ In detail, how did you prepare for the PSAT?

I did several SAT practice test sections and did a lot of the SAT questions of the day.

■ Why are grades so important to you?

Grades are important to me because they help reveal academic achievement as well as hard work and dedication to school.

■ What's your favorite movie and book?

My favorite movie is "Kick-Ass" and books are the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.

■ What's a guilty pleasure of yours -- such as a TV show, movie or hobby -- and why are you ashamed of liking it?

Fantasy football. I spend way too much time on it.