4 ETHS Students Earn National Merit Scholarships

EVANSTON, IL — Four Evanston Township High School students were among the latest group of about 3,500 National Merit scholars announced by the Evanston-based National Merit Scholarship Corporation Wednesday. The winners were selected from among 15,000 finalists who met academic and other requirements by college admissions officials to receive college-sponsored scholarships. The recent graduates will receive between $500 and $2,000 annually to cover up to four years of undergraduate study.

Benjamin P. Ballmer, Evanston

• Indiana University Bloomington
• Probable career field: Acting

Anika H. Blitzstein, Evanston

• Tufts University
• Probable career field: Law

Meredith T. Byrnes, Evanston

• University of Southern California
• Probable career field: Foreign Language

Sophia S. Hachten, Evanston

• University of Chicago
• Probable career field: Undecided

Students were evaluated on their academic record, including how difficult their classes were, standardized test scores, extracurricular contributions, an essay and a recommendation from a high school official.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is a nonprofit founded in 1955. A majority of the $31 million in college scholarships it distributes are underwritten by sponsors – about 178 colleges and 232 corporations.

Last month, the organization awarded $2,500 single-payment scholarships to one ETHS senior, and three other Evanston residents attending private schools. The month prior, the organization named over 1,000 winners of its corporate-sponsored awards.

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