Lansing's Nick Brown Named National Merit Semifinalist

CHICAGO, IL -- Nick Brown, of Lansing, was one of two seniors at Marist High School who were named National Merit Semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in Evanston. In the spring 2018.

Brown has been active with Marist’s math team, academic team, and National Honor Society, and serves as a student ambassador officer. He carries a heavy Advanced Placement and honors course load. Brown is a three-year member of the school’s tennis team with plans of competing again in the spring, and participated in basketball for one season. He is a graduate of Memorial Junior High School. Brown’s top college prospects include the University of Chicago, New York University and University of Pennsylvania, where he intends to major in economics or finance.

Ed Stifter, of Oak Lawn, also earned National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist Honors. In addition, six other seniors were named National Merit Commended students. About 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), 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.

There are approximately 16,000 National Merit Semifinalists in the U.S. and they must advance to finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and all other requirements. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered next spring.