Schools
Five District 99 Students Named National Merit Semifinalists
Downers Grove North and South high school students are among 16,000 nationwide who will be considered for a National Merit Scholarship next spring.
By Amanda Luevano
Five students from Community High School District 99 have been named 2013-2014 National Merit semifinalists, district officials announced Wednesday.
Three semifinalists attend North High School, and two attend South High School.
“All of us at District 99 congratulate these students on their achievements,” District 99 Superintendent Dr. Mark McDonald said in a statement. “Our community is proud of their recognition in this prestigious program.”
To qualify for the National Merit Scholarship program, students must rank among the top scorers in the state on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Of the 1.5 million eligible students, only 16,000 students nationally have been named semifinalists, representing less than one percent of all high school seniors in the country.
Semifinalists now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,000 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $35 million. More than 90 percent of semifinalists move on to become National Merit finalists; more than half receive a National Merit scholarship, earning a Merit Scholar title.
To become a finalist, the semifinalist and their high school must submit a detailed application with information on the student's academic record, involvement in extracurricular activities, leadership abilities and awards received. Students must also be recommended by a high school official, write an essay and earn SAT scores that confirm the earlier performance on the qualifying test.
The awards will be distributed in the spring.
Five students from Community High School District 99 have been named 2013-2014 National Merit semifinalists, district officials announced Wednesday.
Three semifinalists attend North High School, and two attend South High School.
“All of us at District 99 congratulate these students on their achievements,” District 99 Superintendent Dr. Mark McDonald said in a statement. “Our community is proud of their recognition in this prestigious program.”
To qualify for the National Merit Scholarship program, students must rank among the top scorers in the state on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Of the 1.5 million eligible students, only 16,000 students nationally have been named semifinalists, representing less than one percent of all high school seniors in the country.
Semifinalists now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,000 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $35 million. More than 90 percent of semifinalists move on to become National Merit finalists; more than half receive a National Merit scholarship, earning a Merit Scholar title.
To become a finalist, the semifinalist and their high school must submit a detailed application with information on the student's academic record, involvement in extracurricular activities, leadership abilities and awards received. Students must also be recommended by a high school official, write an essay and earn SAT scores that confirm the earlier performance on the qualifying test.
The awards will be distributed in the spring.
District 99 National Merit Semifinalists
North High School
- Rachel Clivaz (Woodridge)
- Gwendolyn Cortez (Woodridge)
- Katherine Portman (Downers Grove)
- Andrew Molina (Downers Grove)
- Nolan Reilly (Downers Grove)
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