Mira Costa National Merit Semi-Finalists Named
Sep 11, 2024 07:28AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
This year's National Merit Semi-Finalists, a group of seniors who
were among the highest scorers on last year's PSAT test, have been
announced.
Ella Digilio
Colin Freelin
Cameron Hughes
Jack Kjar
Katherine Kligys
Hudson Sagadevan
Elizabeth Witherell
1.3 Million High School Juniors Competed for the Honor
There are three types of National Merit Scholarships: Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2,500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 770 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided for finalists who meet their specified criteria. Additionally, about 150 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
The
nonprofit National Merit Scholarship Corporation 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 280 business organizations and higher education
institutions.
From Mira Costa High School, those students include
Colin Freelin
Cameron Hughes
Jack Kjar
Katherine Kligys
Hudson Sagadevan
Elizabeth Witherell
The students are among more than 16,000 semi-finalists in the country who will compete for nearly $26
million in National Merit scholarships in the spring.
1.3 Million High School Juniors Competed for the Honor
More than 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2025 National Merit
Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.
Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 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.
*Editor's Note: The National Merit Scholarship Program honors
individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous
college studies. The program does not measure the quality or effectiveness of education
within a school, system, or state.
To
go on to the next step to become a finalist, the semifinalist must submit a detailed scholarship
application. From the more than 16,000 semifinalists, more than 15,000
are expected to advance to the finalist level. The National Merit
Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of finalists on the
basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in
rigorous college studies.
There are three types of National Merit Scholarships: Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2,500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 770 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided for finalists who meet their specified criteria. Additionally, about 150 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
