Congrats! Lucy Jiang and Samuel R. Sledzieski of Pomperaug High School

Congrats to Pomperaug High School’s Lucy Jiang and Samuel R. Sledzieski, who were named semifinalists in the 60th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 60th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 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.About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and more than half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

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 440 businessorganizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

The National Merit® Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The program does not measure the quality or effectiveness of education within a school, system, or state. For more information about the competition, please visit NMSC’s website at www.nationalmerit.org.

Steps in the 2015 Competition

About 1.4 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2013 Preliminary NMSC/National Merit Scholarship QualifyingTest, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state.

The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.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 Semifinalists 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 offi cial, write an essay, and earN scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advanceto 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.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous collegestudies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

National Merit Scholarships

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2015.Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will beawarded on a state-representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarshipawards will be provided by approximately 240 corporations and business organizations forFinalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residentsof communities where sponsor plants or offices are located.

In addition, about 200 colleges anduniversities are expected to finance some 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awardsfor Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.National Merit Scholarship winners of 2015 will be announced in four nationwide newsreleases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 308,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.