Westport Students Named National Merit Semifinalists

WESTPORT, CT — Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced this week the names of approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, including nine from Westport.

Staples High School students Emma G. Alcyone, Natalie K. Bandura, Zachary J. Bishop, Michael A. Brody, Chloe E. Nevas, Maxwell J. Tanksley and Julian Weng, as well as Pierrepont School students Emily S. Lo and Gabriel E. Marous, were among those who made the list.

According to a news release, these high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million that will be offered next spring.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition.

From the approximately 16,000 semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of finalists.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2022. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis.

About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 220 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria.

Additionally, about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

National Merit Scholarship winners for 2022 will be announced in four announcements beginning in April and concluding in July.