Dakota Student Named Semifinalist in National Merit Scholarship Program

About 1.5 million juniors in some 22,000 high schools across the country entered the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program, but only 16,000 were selected as semifinalists. Of these 16,000, six hail from Macomb and Clinton township schools.

Among the semifinalists announced Sept. 14 in the 57th annual National Merit Scholarship Program were Nicholas A. Mikaelian, of ; and Jonathan T. Calcaterra, Andrew T. Gray, Mark Mangliers, Calvin Miller and Zachary J. Piteo, of the International Academy of Macomb.

These select high school seniors will now compete for some 8,300 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $34 million.

Ninety percent of the semifinalists are expected to advance to the finalist level and more than half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship and earn the title of Merit Scholar.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2012:

• Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state representational basis.
• About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 240 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria.
• About 200 colleges and universities will finance some 4,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

The first National Merit Scholarship winners of 2012 will be announced in April. Awards will continue through July.