15 Richland One Students Named as National Merit and National Achievement Scholarship Semifinalists

Fifteen Richland One seniors have been named as Semifinalists in the 2005 National Merit and National Achievement Scholarship competitions, sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), and have the opportunity to compete for scholarships to be offered next spring.

They are: Teague Allston, Dreher, Achievement; Nina-Serena Burkett, Dreher, Achievement; James Carlisle, Dreher, Merit; La-Tasha Davis, A.C. Flora, Achievement; Lauren Felkel, Dreher, Merit; Rachel Love, Dreher, Merit; Sam McDermott, Dreher, Merit; Kaitlyn Pruitt, Dreher, Merit; Alice Robinson, Dreher, Merit; David Wang, Dreher, Merit; Mary Beth Ward, Dreher, Merit; Charles Wentworth, Dreher, Merit; Kevin Yeh, Dreher, Merit; Katherine Buckingham, A.C. Flora, Merit; Grayson Lambert, A.C. Flora, Merit.

Currently in its 50th year, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is a not-for-profit organization that conducts two academic competitions for recognition and undergraduate scholarships:

* the National Merit(r) Scholarship Program, the larger and older competition which was initiated in 1955 when NMSC was established;
* and the National AchievementSM Scholarship Program, a smaller competition begun in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black American high-school students.

Each year some 55,000 high-school students are honored in the NMSC programs and more than 10,500 of the most outstanding participants receive scholarships worth $50 million for college undergraduate study.

High school students enter the both programs by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT(r))- a test that serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.3 million entrants each year - and by meeting published program entry/participation requirements.

This year, nearly 16,000 students, or approximately one-third of the 50,000 highest scorers, have been notified that they have qualified as National Merit Semifinalists. To ensure that academically able students from all parts of the United States are included in this talent pool, Semifinalists are designated on a state representational basis; the number of Semifinalists in each state is based on its percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors. Semifinalists are the highest scoring entrants in each state and represent less than one percent of the state's seniors.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship(r) award, Semifinalists must advance to Finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and all other requirements. In February, some 15,000 Merit Semifinalists will be notified that they have advanced to Finalist standing and are eligible for 8,200 Merit Scholarship awards, worth $33.9 million, that will be offered next spring.

Of the more than 120,000 students who currently enter the National AchievementSM Program each year, approximately 4,600 are honored. A group of about 1,600 are named Semifinalists, the only students who have an opportunity to advance in the competition for Achievement Scholarship(r) awards.

Before being considered for an Achievement Scholarship(r) award, a Semifinalist must advance to Finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and other requirements. In late January, approximately 1,300 Semifinalists will be notified by that they qualify as Finalists.