NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP CORPORATION
SEMIFINALISTS IN THE 2014 NATIONAL MERIT® SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Semifinalists Named in the 2014 National Merit® Scholarship Program
(Evanston, Illinois) Officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the names of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 59th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,000 National Merit Scholarships worth about $35 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award,
Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and more than half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.
NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 440 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC's goals of honoring the nation's scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.
Semifinalists in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program
Steps in the 2014 Competition
About 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool
of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest- scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state's percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and their high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist's academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment,
and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record through- out high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student's earlier performance on the qualifying test.
From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance
to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.
National Merit Scholarships
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2014. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 240 corporations and business organizations 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. In addition, about 200 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,500 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2014 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 300,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
National Merit, Merit Scholarship, Merit Scholar, and the corporate logo are federally registered service marks of National
Merit Scholarship Corporation. PSAT/NMSQT is a registered trademark of National Merit Scholarship Corporation and the College Board.
Semifinalists: 2014 National
Merit Scholarship Program
ALASKA
ANCHORAGE
GRACE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
833 Winkle, Kristin M.
HIGHLAND TECH CHARTER SCHOOL
000 Roberts, Kilian B.
POLARIS K - 12 SCHOOL
999 Denney, Grace O.
ROBERT SERVICE H. S.
999 Hanson, Maria E.
904 Krasnican, Thomas A.
SOUTH ANCHORAGE H. S.
999 Crews, Nicholas B.
185 Flynn, Palden E.
950 Oder, Erik C.
WEST ANCHORAGE H. S.
907 Birnbaum, Sawyer
999 Boslough, Madelyn S.
999 Kennedy, Aleah C.
185 Lobontiu, Diana
556 Lobontiu, Ioana
270 Plumlee, Flynn
628 Powell, Sarah N.
455 Savoie, Mariah J.
450 Shayer, Eli N.
999 Sheasley, Jenny A.
202 Simpson, Samantha T.
461 Volz, Jacob F.
CHUGIAK
CHUGIAK H. S.
742 Newsham, Michael
FAIRBANKS
JAMES T. HUTCHISON H. S.
843 Canright, Jared P.
WEST VALLEY H. S.
792 Glowa, Tristan K.
843 Keith, Abel C.
257 Moore, Eryn E.
450 Smock, Robert D.
HAINES
HAINES H. S.
302 White, Eli B.
HOMESCHOOL
836 MacKowiak, Sasha V.
J.B. ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON
HOMESCHOOL
161 Ohotnicky, Colette E.
JUNEAU
HOMESCHOOL
999 Quick, Kylan
JUNEAU - DOUGLAS H. S.
162 Connolly, John P.
185 Gross, Ariana
990 Mell, Stephen L.
792 Steedle, Ruby L.
KODIAK
KODIAK H. S.
451 Dumm, Will R.
PALMER
HOMESCHOOL
520 Zulliger, Alora E.
PALMER H. S.
450 Lynn, James
SITKA
SITKA H. S.
400 Pike, Chaya E.
SOLDOTNA
SOLDOTNA H. S.
999 Bramante, Juliet T.
NMSP press release