20 Solon High School Students Named National Merit Semi-Finalists

SOLON, OH – Twenty members of Solon High School's senior class have been named as semi-finalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Competition.

The 20 Solon students named as National Merit Scholar semi-finalists for 2017 are: Madeleine Burland, Dylan Caine, Abigail Crawford, Karen Dong, Maria Gonzalez, Shruti Gupta, Sarah Hong, Timothy Jin, Kevin Johnson, Miton Leonn, Annie Liu, Talia Mesnick, Ethan Mook, Jesutomi Odukoya, Joseph Riordan, Zachary Stanik, Vishal Sundaram, Kevin Tang, Jonathan Wang and Michael Zhan.

These students earned scores on the PSAT taken in their junior year that was among the highest in the state and qualified them as a National Merit Scholar semi-finalist. The number of semi-finalists varies from state to state, as the number selected is proportional to the percentage of the total number of graduating seniors in each state.

The 20 semi-finalists will continue in the competition to become National Merit Scholar finalists by fulfilling several additional requirements in the coming months. First, they must attain an SAT score that confirms their achievement on the PSAT qualifying test. They must also demonstrate a record of outstanding academic performance throughout high school and be endorsed and recommended by their high school principal. In addition, the students and school officials must complete a detailed scholarship application that includes a student essay and information about their participation and leadership in school and community-based activities.

“The class of 2017 has already begun making its mark and leaving a strong academic legacy,” said Solon High School Principal Erin Short. “Having 20 seniors earn spots on the National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist roll demonstrates the consistency in academic achievement at Solon High School. Every year we fill the entire wall outside the auditorium recognizing the excellence of students honored through the National Merit Scholar programs. The high numbers of students recognized every year reflects the work and commitment of students and staff and depth of achievement at Solon High School and throughout the Solon Schools.”

In the next few weeks, Solon High School will also be able to announce the names of more than 20 additional students who earned commended status in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship program.