Mercer Island Students Named As National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Eight students were named as Semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's 58th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

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The semi-finalists are: Samuel J. Chong, Erik M. Gest, Isaac B. Grosof, Dhruv Malik, Calista A. Mayer, Kaya L. McRuer, Emily C. Morse, and Christina L. Williamson.

They wlill have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8 300 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition.

About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and more than half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2013. 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 240 corporations and business organizations. In addition, about 200 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2013 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 291,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

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