Mo. Academy fields National Merit semifinalists

In the News

MARYVILLE, Mo. — Two students attending Northwest Missouri State University’s Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics, and Computing are among the semifinalists named in the 62nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Gordon Fang of Blue Springs and Randall Porter of Bowling Green are among the 16,000 academically talented high school seniors who now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million.

The non-profit National Merit Scholarship Corporation was established in 1955. Scholarships are underwritten by both NMSC and more than 400 businesses and institutions of higher learning.

About 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2017 National Merit Scholarship program by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screening. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state.

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and his or her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

Semifinalists must have outstanding academic records, be endorsed by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance.

Of the approximately 16,000 semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level in February 2017. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group.

Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.