BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) — Two Bowling Green High School seniors have advanced to finalist status in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program.
Kollin Hsieh and Finley Hondorp are among more than 16,000 semifinalists nationwide who are eligible to compete for nearly $26 million in scholarships next spring.
The program, now in its 71st year, began with more than 1.3 million high school juniors taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Less than one percent of entrants reach semifinalist standing, which recognizes the highest-scoring students in each state, according to a news release.
To become finalists, students must maintain an outstanding academic record, submit a detailed scholarship application, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm their earlier performance.
Approximately 95% of semifinalists are expected to achieve finalist status, and roughly half of those finalists will ultimately receive a National Merit Scholarship.
Scholarships will be awarded in three categories: $2,500 state-representational awards, corporate-sponsored awards, and college-sponsored awards.
Winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases from April through July 2026.
Hsieh and Hondorp now join a distinguished group of students recognized for their academic achievement, leadership and potential for success in higher education.
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