13 North Penn HS Students Among National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

LANSDALE, PA -- The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced the semifinalists for their 2017 competition, and 13 students from North Penn High School made the cut.

About 16,000 high school seniors from around the country are chosen as semifinalists, who then compete for about 7,500 scholarships determined in the spring of 2017.

North Penn semifinalists include:

• Chao, Corson A.
• Gagen, Andrew M.
• Heisey, Eli D.
• Jia, Andrew
• Krise, Matthew D.
• Park, Timothy M.
• Urban, Joseph N.
• Variketta, Kanishkan M.
• Wang, Albert L.
• Whang, Joshua H.
• Wylie, Brittany L.
• Yang, Christopher X.
• Yue, Yang

In addition, Shane Ward of Lansdale Catholic was selected as a semifinalist.

A total of $33 million in scholarships will be awarded to winners. Roughly 90 percent of semifinalists are awarded finalist scholarships, according to the corporation.

To advance, semifinalists must submit a detailed application including academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment history, and any honors or awards received.

The winners are selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who look over an expansive portfolio on each individual student, including academic records, extracurricular activities, standardized test results, leadership skills, an essay, and a letter of recommendation.

Patch file photo.