WINNETKA, IL — Seven seniors from New Trier Township High School were awarded cash scholarships by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
The $2,500 scholarships announced Wednesday are financed out of the corporation’s own funds, some of which come from donations or from businesses and company foundations that provide grants in lieu of administrative fees.
The following students are among 2,500 merit scholars nationwide to be awarded the cash scholarships, which can be spent at any regionally accredited college or university in the U.S.
Ashley Geohas, of Wilmette, has a probable career field of chemical engineering.
Megan Lu, of Wilmette, has a probable career field of chemistry.
Daniel Matten, of Wilmette, plans to pursue a career in academia.
Victoria Wenzke, of Wilmette, plans to pursue a career in business.
Andrew Xia, of Wilmette, has a probable career field of computer science.
Alison Beanblossom, of Winnetka, plans to pursue a career in business.
Maya Echambadi, of Winnetka, plans to pursue a career in finance.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, an Evanston-based nonprofit founded in 1955, screens high schoolers based on their performance on the PSAT as juniors, with less than 1 percent of seniors qualifying on a state-representational basis. (Last fall, 36 members of the New Trier High School’s class of 2024 were named semifinalists.)
Of all finalists nationwide, nearly 94 percent qualify as finalists. And by the summer, nearly 46 percent of the 15,000 finalists will be named merit scholars and awarded scholarships — sponsored either by businesses, colleges, or the nonprofit’s own funds.
Winners are chosen by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors based on application materials from the students and their schools.
Last month, the nonprofit announced about 770 winners of corporate-sponsored scholarships offered by businesses, which are usually restricted to the families of employees. One Wilmette resident was among them.
Next month, about 3,600 winners of college-sponsored merit scholarships will be announced in two installments.
About 6,870 students will have been awarded a total of approximately $26 million worth of scholarships by the end of this year’s program.
Related: New Trier High School Ranked As No. 3 Public School In Chicago Suburbs
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