4 District 303 Students Named National Merit Scholarship Finalists

Four District 303 students have been named National Merit Scholarship finalists, school officials said Tuesday.

Alan Koval, a St. Charles East High School student, and Ryan Fahey, Kira Nutter, and Nicole Palmer, all along with St. Charles North High School students have been named as finalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program, according to a news release.

These four District 303 students are among 15,000 students nationwide who have been selected for this honor. Beginning in March and continuing through mid-June, National Merit Scholarship Program winners are notified of their selection, according to a news release.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test–a test which serves as an initial screening of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year–and by meeting published program entry/participation requirements.

To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, semifinalists advance to finalist stage in the competition by meeting high academic standards and all other requirements explained in the materials provided to each semifinalist.