18 Highland Park High School named National Merit Semifinalists

by PegNews wire

Eighteen Highland Park High School seniors have been named 2008 National Merit semifinalists. The students are among 16,000 academically talented high school seniors who will continue in the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s competition for 8,200 merit scholarship awards worth $34 million that will be offered in the spring. The pool of semifinalists represents less than 1 percent of the top high school seniors in the U.S.

Highland Park High School’s National Merit Semifinalists are: Caroline Benac, Douglas Benson, Andy Collins, Shelley Foran, Heather Graham, Justin Hanneman, Bryan Hayslett, John Klein, Adam Lange, Rick Lewis, Melissa McCoy, Andrew Mueller, Evan Parsons, Meredith Perry, April Philley, Meredith Sheeder, James Skidmore, and Kaydee Sloan.

“It is an enormous accomplishment to be named a National Merit semifinalist, and we proudly celebrate this occasion with our students, parents and faculty,” said Highland Park ISD Superintendent Dr. Cathy Bryce. “Achieving this distinction will open many doors for these 18 outstanding students for years to come.”

Approximately 90 percent of the semifinalists typically go on to become finalists, and about half of all finalists are selected as Merit Scholarship winners, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their accomplishments, skills and potential for success in rigorous college studies. Students were selected as 2008 semifinalists based on performance on the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Three types of Merit Scholarship awards will be offered in 2008. Every finalist will compete for one of the National Merit $2,500 scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. In addition, some 300 corporations and business organizations will underwrite 1,100 corporate-sponsored scholarships for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. Also, about 200 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsoring institutions.

Merit Scholarship winners for 2008 will be announced in four news releases, beginning in April and concluding in July.

Source: HPISD