Local Students Named Semifinalists In National Merit Scholarship Program

Several local students were named semifinalists Wednesday in the 63rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. In total, 16,000 students across the country moved forward in the scholarship competition as semifinalists. Those students will learn next spring and summer if they have won one of the 7,500 total scholarships valued at more than $32 million up for grabs, according to a news release.

Locally, the following students have been named semi-finalists in the scholarship program:

• Nicholas G. Bellizzi, Harry D. Jacobs High School
• Jacob D. Epp, Crystal Lake Central High School
• Madeline T. Korte, Crystal Lake Central High School
• Anna N. Freiman, Crystal Lake South High School
• Julie Freund, Crystal Lake South High School
• Audrey E. Godsell, Crystal Lake South High School
• Hyo Sup Kim, Crystal Lake South High School
• Samantha M. Catlett, Cary-Grove
• Lauren K. Felleson, Cary-Grove
• Emily E. Harvard, Cary-Grove
• Cameron J. Chrest, Huntley High School
• Delaney R. Hajek, Huntley High School
• Alyssa V. Schechtel Huntley High School
• Zoe M. Zuzzio, Huntley High School

The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies, according to a news release.

The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

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, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Around 15,000 finalists are expected to be named in February. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of finalists.

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2018 will be announced starting in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 330,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

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