The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) recently announced this year's $2500 National Merit Scholarship winners, which followed the Corporate-Sponsored National Merit Scholarship announcement. The most recent winners of the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program include seniors from Campbell High School, Walton High School, and Wheeler High School.
The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of over 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program. National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state's percentage of the nation's graduating high school seniors.
These Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®); contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.
NMSC finances most of these single-payment National Merit $2500 Scholarships. Corporations and company foundations that sponsor awards through NMSC also help underwrite these scholarships with grants they provide in lieu of paying administrative fees. Donations made to NMSC's President's Fund also fund the National Merit $2500 Scholarships. Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
This year's National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2022 when high school juniors took the PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation's high school seniors, were named Semifinalists on a state-representational basis. More than 16,000 Semifinalists had an opportunity to continue in the competition.
From the Semifinalist group, over 15,000 students met the very high academic standards and other requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. By the conclusion of the 2024 program, more than 6,870 Finalists will have earned the "Merit Scholar" title and received nearly $26 million in college scholarships.
NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was founded in 1955 to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. Most scholarships offered each year are underwritten by approximately 320 independent corporate and college sponsors that share NMSC's goals of honoring scholastically talented youth and encouraging academic excellence at all levels of education.
Maariya S. Sheikh, Campbell High School
Probable career field: Medicine
Scholarship: UNDERWRITTEN BY THE ESTATE OF 1973 MERIT SCHOLAR DWIGHT P. RUDOLPH This award is supported by a generous donation to NMSC's President's Fund.
Zhikai Huang, Walton High School
Probable career field: Engineering
Scholarship: This award is supported by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's own funds.
Omer M. Inan, Walton High School
Probable career field: Electrical Engineering
Scholarship: This award is supported by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's own funds.
Daniel Lin, Walton High School
Probable career field: Mechanical Engineering
Scholarship: This award is supported by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's own funds.
Lydia Y. Zeng, Walton High School
Probable career field: Surgical Medicine
Scholarship: This award is supported by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's own funds
Param Jaydev Desai, Wheeler High School
Probable career field: Healthcare
Scholarship: This award is supported by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's own funds
Vaishnavi Gogineni, Wheeler High School
Probable career field: Medicine
Scholarship: UNDERWRITTEN BY THE ESTATE OF 1973 MERIT SCHOLAR DWIGHT P. RUDOLPH. This award is supported by a generous donation to NMSC's President's Fund.
Christian Alejandro Phanhthourath, Wheeler High School
Probable career field: Science/Research
Scholarship: This award is supported by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's own funds
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