Twenty Six Seniors Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

This September, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the names of the semifinalists in the 62nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. 26 Regis seniors who have shown outstanding academic talent are among the approximately 16,000 who have qualified for the recognition.

About 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the PSAT. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of US high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. These high school seniors will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships that will be offered next spring.

According to Hee-Sun Hong, Director of College Counseling at Regis, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition in order to be considered for a Merit Scholarship award. About 90% of semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title. National Merit Scholarship finalists will be announced in February, while scholarship winners will be announced in the spring.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 420 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC's goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

Congratulations to our Regis class of 2017 National Merit semifinalists: