The names of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 51st annual National Merit Scholarship Program were announced today by officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). These scholastically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,200 Merit ScholarshipA?® awards, worth $33 million, that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements and advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will be selected as Merit Scholarship winners, earning the Merit ScholarA?® title.
NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Program. Scholarships awarded through the program are underwritten by NMSC’s own funds and approximately 500 business organizations and higher education institutions which share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.
Competition Steps
More than 1.3 million juniors in nearly 21,000 U.S. high schools entered the 2006 National Merit Program by taking the 2004 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQTA?®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The Semifinalists in the 2006 National Merit Scholarship Program nationwide pool of Semifinalists, which represents 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, a Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout the high school years, be endorsed and recommended by the school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier qualifying test performance. The Semifinalist and a school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, which includes the student’s self-descriptive essay and information about the Semifinalist’s participation and leadership in school and community activities.
Approximately 15,000 Semifinalists will advance to the Finalist level and it is from this group that all Merit Scholarship winners will be chosen. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.
Merit Scholarship Awards
Three types of Merit Scholarship awards will be offered in 2006. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state representational basis. In addition, some 300 corporations and business organizations will underwrite about 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 sponsor institution.
Merit Scholarship winners of 2006 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join some 234,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
Semifinalists: 2006 National Merit Scholarship Program
MAINE
AUBURN
EDWARD LITTLE H. S.
Schlotterbeck, Markus J.
BANGOR
BANGOR CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
Boone, Anna M.
Dorman, Daniel B.
JOHN BAPST MEMORIAL H. S.
Harrow-Mortelli, Jacob S.
Horth, Kymberly A.
BETHEL
GOULD ACADEMY
Jerman, Kathryn C.
BLUE HILL
GEORGE STEVENS ACADEMY
Morris, MacKenzie D.
BREWER
BREWER H. S.
Damico, Jennie M.
Fernald, Hilary J.
BRUNSWICK
BRUNSWICK H. S.
Baecher, Graham J.
Braun, Tyler W.
Davis, Alicia A.
Keeney, Nicholas R.
Knowles, Julia E.
Lea, Matthew S.
CAPE ELIZABETH
CAPE ELIZABETH H. S.
Gayer, Carlin D.
Rioux, Si D.
Rioux, Zachary B.
CORINTH
CENTRAL H. S.
Kekacs, Daniel J.
Watt, Dylan N.
EAST MACHIAS
WASHINGTON ACADEMY
Reisman, Asher J.
FALMOUTH
FALMOUTH H. S.
Hambley, Katherine D.
Howland, Ashleigh L.
Strout, Jean W.
FREEPORT
FREEPORT H. S.
Ritger, Matthew P.
FRYEBURG
FRYEBURG ACADEMY
Mead, Stephen C.
GARDINER
GARDINER AREA H. S.
Fish, Jessica P.
GORHAM
GORHAM H. S.
Cadot-Wood, Antoine B.
Miliano, Anastasia L.
KENNEBUNK
KENNEBUNK H. S.
Anderson, James E.
Bates, Mako P.
Fritzsche, Katherine M.
LIMESTONE
THE MAINE SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
Haines, Justin C.
Morrison, Scott D.
Olson, Hannah K.
Zellinger, Louis C.
NORTH BERWICK
NOBLE H. S.
Mills, Bethany R.
OAKLAND
MESSALONSKEE H. S.
Keach, Carrie A.
Wood, Charles R.
PORTLAND
CHEVERUS H. S.
Romeo, Chris T.
DEERING H. S.
Snyder, Scott A.
Tinkle, Shana
CATHERINE MC AULEY H. S.
Kenney, Kaleigh R.
Morison, Elizabeth H.
PORTLAND H. S.
Anderson, Austin P.
Gammon, Jocelyn M.
Walden, Sarah E.
WAYNFLETE SCHOOL
Gips, Alexa H.
Perry, Hannah M.
READFIELD
MARANACOOK COMMUNITY SCHOOL
Libby, Margaret J.
ROCKPORT
CAMDEN HILLS REGIONAL H. S.
Ettinger, Allyson K.
Kosowsky, Nola
Michalakes, Joseph J.
Scott, Tana M.
Smith, Brittany
Stevick, Heather E.
SACO
THORNTON ACADEMY
Noblesmith, Dylan M.
SANFORD
SANFORD H. S.
Hoar, Sarah E.
SCARBOROUGH
SCARBOROUGH H. S.
Bamford, Seana K.
Bennett, Dana M.
Cohen, Noah P.
Endrizzi, Douglas A.
Packhem, Christopher M.
Van Dam, Brian M.
SKOWHEGAN
SKOWHEGAN AREA H. S.
Powell, Stephen J.
SOUTH BERWICK
BERWICK ACADEMY
Cornwell, Katherine E.
Patten, George A.
MARSHWOOD H. S.
Bowen, Emily L.
SOUTH PORTLAND
SOUTH PORTLAND H. S.
Dalton, Emma B.
Haeuser, Emily S.
Keiter, Henry S.
SULLIVAN
SUMNER MEMORIAL H. S.
Dunleavey, James M.
TOPSHAM
MOUNT ARARAT SCHOOL
Chinnapongse, Stephanie L.
Perkins, Cody M.
Perry, William T.
Schmidt, Kaylee M.
WALDOBORO
COASTAL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Day, Michael K.
MEDOMAK VALLEY H. S.
Mohlie, Eliza G.
WATERVILLE
WATERVILLE H. S.
Eaton, Kathryn J.
WINSLOW
WINSLOW H. S.
Seago, Elan E.
YARMOUTH
YARMOUTH H. S.
Caulfield, Meaghan R.
Lyons, James M.
Otis, Heather M.
Sidar, Matt
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