On Wednesday, September 13, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) announced the selection of over 16,000 Semifinalists for the 69th National Merit Scholarship Program, including Calhoun High School's senior, Nate Eickman, who proudly earned the title of National Merit Semifinalist. #ExcellenceInAcademics
These accomplished high school seniors now have the opportunity to compete for approximately 7,140 National Merit Scholarships valued at nearly $28 million, which will be awarded next spring. To qualify for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must meet specific criteria to advance to the Finalist stage. It's anticipated that around 95 percent of Semifinalists will achieve Finalist status, with about half of them being awarded National Merit Scholarships, thus earning the coveted title of Merit Scholar®.
NMSC, a non-profit organization operating independently, was established in 1955 to oversee the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are funded by NMSC itself and supported by approximately 320 businesses and educational institutions that share NMSC's mission of recognizing academic excellence and supporting our nation's brightest students.
In the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program:
- More than 1.3 million juniors from 21,000 high schools participated by taking the 2022 PSAT/NMSQT®, leading to the selection of Semifinalists, who represent less than 1% of U.S. seniors, distributed proportionally by state.
- Semifinalists are required to submit a comprehensive scholarship application, highlighting their academic achievements, extracurricular activities, leadership roles, employment history, and awards. Additionally, they need to achieve excellent SAT® or ACT® scores.
- Over 15,000 Semifinalists are expected to advance to the Finalist stage in February, from which all National Merit Scholarship winners will be chosen. Selections emphasize skills and potential, regardless of background.
- In spring 2024, three types of scholarships will be awarded: 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships on a state basis, 840 corporate-sponsored awards, and 3,800 college-sponsored scholarships from various institutions.
- The 2024 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four news releases from April to July, joining an esteemed group of over 375,000 Merit Scholars who have earned this prestigious title.
Calhoun City Schools congratulates Nate on his exceptional achievement with excellence in academics. #CCSHeroes #DiscoverTheHeroWithinYou