151 Montgomery County Students Named National Merit Semifinalists

ROCKVILLE, MD — Students from 16 Montgomery County high schools were named National Merit semifinalists in the 2019 competition, the school district announced Monday.

Finalists are determined by students' scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT).

Some 1.6 million students enter the competition each year, with an estimated 50,000 qualifying for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Commended students receive letters of commendation and become eligible for scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.

Semifinalists, meanwhile, are designated by state and given scholarship application materials. To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, semifinalists must advance to Finalist standing by meeting high academic standards and other requirements.

In February, around 15,000 finalists will be notified that they have advanced to finalist standing. Winners are chosen from this pool based on abilities, skills and accomplishments. Scholarship winners are awarded a variety of financial aid ranging from a $2,500 payout to corporate and college-sponsored scholarships.

A total of 151 MCSP students qualified as semifinalists for the 2019 program. Here's how many students qualified per high school.

MCSP Semifinalists in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program:

• Bethesda-Chevy Chase HS --- 9
• Montgomery Blair HS ------- 42
• Winston Churchill HS ------- 12
• Damascus HS ----------------- 1
• Albert Einstein HS ----------- 1
• Walter Johnson HS ---------- 3
• Richard Montgomery HS --- 36
• Northwest HS ---------------- 1
• Paint Branch HS ------------- 3
• Poolesville HS --------------- 12
• Quince Orchard HS --------- 1
• Rockville HS ----------------- 1
• Sherwood HS ---------------- 4
• Wheaton HS ----------------- 3
• Walt Whitman HS ---------- 11
• Thomas S. Wootton HS ---- 11