Needham Student Named National Merit Scholar

NEEDHAM, MA – A Needham High School student has been named a 2017 National Merit Scholar, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced last week. Michael S. Liu, selected from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists, will receive a $2,500 scholarship from the organization. Liu plans to pursue a career in biological engineering.

National Merit Scholarship winners are the students in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, according to an overview of the program. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

Winners were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors based on academic record, the difficulty level of the subjects studied, grades earned, scores from two standardized tests, contributions and leadership in school, community activities, an essay and a recommendation written by a high school official.

By Alex Newman

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