Two students from Mount St. Mary Academy have been named Semifinalists in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Isabella Boyd ’20 and Anna Palmer ’20 are among the 16,000 Semifinalists who represent the top one percent of the Class of 2020 nationwide. Over 1.5 million juniors across the country entered the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program competition by taking the PSAT qualifying test last fall.
These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring, according to a news release from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
Steps in the 2020 Competition
About 15,000 seniors will be announced as Finalists in February. To advance to the finals of the scholarship program, students must show a record of consistently high academic performance and extracurricular involvement throughout high school while also earning SAT or ACT scores that confirm their earlier performances on the qualifying test. They must also be endorsed and recommended by a high school official.
National Merit Scholarships
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2020. 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 220 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria. In addition, about 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
Congratulations to Isabella and Anna!
Mount St. Mary Academy, sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, develops young women with a moral and intellectual foundation rooted in Catholic tradition. Mercy-minded and college-prepared, our students meet the future with wisdom, compassion and integrity.