Wantagh High School Senior Designated National Merit Finalist

WANTAGH, NY — Wantagh High School senior Margaret Gates was named one of 15,000 finalists in the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, Wantagh School District officials said.

Gates, who is part of a nationwide pool of semifinalists representing one percent of U.S. high school seniors who are the highest-scoring entrants in each state, has received a Certificate of Merit, and she will soon learn whether she has been chosen as a Merit Scholar designee, according to a district news release.

She entered the competition by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, school district officials said.

In order to be chosen as one of 7,600 scholarship winners, Gates will be judged on her academic record, information about the high school’s curriculum and grading system, as well as her PSAT/NMSQT Selection index core, according to school district officials.

She will also be judged based on school officials’ recommendation and information about her contributions and leadership in school and the community and a Finalist essay, school district officials said.