Hauppauge Semifinalist Revealed In 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program

Three Hauppauge seniors have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Hauppauge High School senior Lauren McGarry has been selected as a semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program this September. Seniors Delia Zhao and Rahul Parikh received honorable mention by placing among the top 5 percent of the 1.5 million students who entered the 2011 competition.

"We are incredibly proud of the students that have achieved this national recognition. They are exemplary young people who have made a true commitment to personal excellence, as well as altruistic generosity to others within their school and community," High School Principal Christine O'Connor said.

These Hauppauge students were selected among approximately 1.5 million juniors who entered the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2009 Preliminary SAT/National merit Scholarship Qualifying Test last fall, according to the program's press release.

McGarry will continue to complete among the 16,000 semifinalists for the chance to become a finalist with a chance of earning more than $36 million in scholarships awarded next spring.

To become a finalist, McGarry will need O'Connor's support and needs to earn an SAT score that affirm her performance on the qualifying test. She will have to submit a detailed scholarship application including a personal essay and information on her participation and leadership in school activities, according to the press release.

National Merit Scholarship program reported that approximately 90 percent, or 15,000 of the semifinalists are expected to become finalists.

Three types of awards are given out by the National Merit Scholarship Program each year.  McGarry, as a finalists, will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 scholarships awarded on a state-by-state basis.

 In addition, Zhao and Parikh may be eligible to receive one of more than 1,000 corporate-sponsored awards that are for students who meet specific criteria such as being an employee's child or resident of the local businesses' community.