Eight Seniors Receive National Academic Recognition

This is a paid post contributed by a Patch Community Partner. The views expressed in this post are the author's own, and the information presented has not been verified by Patch.

PRINCETON, NJ, October 29, 2020 – Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, the only all-girls school in Princeton, NJ, is pleased to announce that eight seniors have received national recognition for their academic achievements. Seven students have been recognized by The National Merit Scholarship Program, and three have received recognition from College Board.

In September of this year, Shirley Xie of West Windsor was named a National Merit Semifinalist. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million that will be offered next spring. Around 1.5 million juniors from 21,000 high schools entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The nationwide pool of semifinalists represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. Only 15,000 students are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

Six students - Lia Bull-Krieg of Princeton, Vivian Chen of West Windsor, Vicky Liu of Princeton, Penelope Luchs of Princeton Junction, Nia Melvin of Montgomery Township, and Mia Szabo of Princeton - were named Commended Students in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. These students placed among the top 50,000 scorers of more than 1.6 million students who entered the 2021 competition by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). They are recognized for their exceptional academic promise not only in the Stuart community but throughout the nation.

Finally, students who take the PSAT/NMSQT and are African American, Hispanic American or Latinx, Indigenous, attend school in a rural area, or are from a small town, may be invited to apply for academic recognition as part of the College Board National Recognition Programs. College Board’s National Recognition Programs create pathways to college for students from underserved communities by awarding them academic honors and connecting them with universities across the country. The following students received special recognition: Emma Claisse, National Hispanic Recognition Program; Nia Melvin, National African-American Recognition Program; and Lia Bull-Krieg, National Rural and Small Town Recognition Program.

About Stuart: As the only all-girls school in Princeton, New Jersey, Stuart is uniquely positioned to provide an environment where girls in PS-12 put academics first, are willing to take risks, and explore every opportunity. Nestled on 55 wooded acres, the school’s outstanding academics and expert faculty prepare girls to pursue further studies in STEM, finance and economics, and leadership, as well as the arts, humanities, and athletics. Graduates go on to become confident, intelligent and articulate leaders for positive change in our world. Visit www.stuartschool.org for more information.

This is a paid post contributed by a Patch Community Partner, a local sponsor. To learn more, click here.