Four Hamilton High School students have been named semifinalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program. Eligibility for the distinction is based on results of the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Seniors Divyesh Pandey, Akhil Pidikiti, Brooke Stanley and Shashwat Shastri were named semifinalists. They are among approximately 16,000 semifinalists nationwide and will continue in the competition for Merit Scholarship awards.
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, write an essay and earn SAT scores that confirm the students’ earlier test performance.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), established in1955, is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 400 business organizations and higher education institutions to honor the nation’s scholastic champions and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence.