Two Hamilton High School students learned recently that they were named semifinalists in the 2008 National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) competition. Seniors Calley Galarowicz and Angela Zeng were among approximately 16,000 semifinalists throughout the nation who were recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Galarowicz and Zeng will continue in the 2008 competition for Merit Scholarship awards. Eligibility for the distinction is based on results of the 2006 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
The nationwide pool of semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. To become a finalist, a semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the school principal and earn SAT scores that confirm the students’ earlier 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 participation and leadership in school and community activities. 2008 Merit Scholarship winners will be announced next spring.