Yesterday, officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the names of approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 62nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million that will be offered next spring.
Ridgefield High School’s semifinalist are Patrick M. Andrews, Lauren Chakraborty, Andrew Chang, Katherine F. Jasminski, Colleen Keenan, Ava Kelley, Ella Kemp, Joshua Kim, Karena Landler, Nicholas Patterson, Muge Wange, and Julia Yu. The road to becoming a semifinalist began in 2015 when these students took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®)—a test which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year—and by meeting published program entry and participation requirements.
NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 420 business organizations and higher education institutions.
To become a finalist, the semifinalist and his or her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, submit an essay, and earn SAT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 230 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities in which sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 190 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution. 2017 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 323,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
The 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) will be offered at RHS on Saturday, October 15, at 8 a.m. for sophomores and juniors. For juniors, it is the test from which they can qualify for National Merit Scholarships. Juniors who score in the top .5% of Connecticut test-takers are eligible to compete. The deadline for registration is October 4. Click here for more information.
HamletHub offers our congratulations to these 12 Ridgefield High School students and best wishes in the competition!