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Several local students were among 16,000 named semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced Wednesday.
These high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the National Merit Scholarship competition for approximately 6,870 scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered in the spring.
Local students named semifinalists in West Virginia were:
Cabell Midland High School
Huntington High School
Hurricane High School
St. Joseph Central High School
Winfield High School
Local students named semifinalists in Kentucky were:
Paul G. Blazer High School
Paintsville High School
According to a release from the corporation, more than 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants.
The pool of semifinalists, representing less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the stateÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
About 95% of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, providing information about the studentsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment and honors and awards received.
Students will be notified if they are finalists in February 2025.
From the pool of finalists, Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2025.
Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis.
About 770 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 130 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantorÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located.
In addition, about 150 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2025 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July.
These scholarship recipients will join more than 382,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
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