National Merit Scholarship Semi-Finalists

The following 19 students were recognized at the Board of Education Meeting Thursday at for being identified as National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists:

Diane Abercrombie
Julian Barker
Gillis Baxter
Alina Carrel
Christian Chung
Jeeyoon Chung
Lucas Coffer
Charlotte D'Acierno
Jamie Denton
Connor Harris
Jennifer Hillibrand
Ryota Ishizuka
Chloe McGovern
Jonathan Palmer
Samuel Prose
Francisco Rojo
Jeffrey Shull
Michelle Socher
Matthew Van Rhyn

More than 1.5 million high school students from aross the country enter the National Merit Program by taking a screening test, the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). The program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955.

Of the 1.5 million entrants, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT® Selection Index scores (critical reading + mathematics + writing skills scores) qualify for recognition in the National Merit® Scholarship Program. In early September, about 16,000 students, or approximately one-third of the 50,000 high scorers, are notified that they have qualified as semi-finalists. In February, some 15,000 semi-finalists are notified by mail that they have advanced to Finalist standing.

In response to his reaction that 19 young men and women from GHS are amongst the small pool of named Semi-finalists, GHS Headmaster Chris Winters said, "There's nothing better than spending a morning with a room full of some of the brightest and hardest working students in the nation. It's a comfort to know that today's global issues and tomorrow's as well will be tackled by such capable young men and women. We're very proud of and happy for each of our National Merit Scholarship semi-Finalists."

And Winters has a lot to proud of as Greenwich High School has the most National Merit Semi-Finalists in the State of Connecticut.  Yet another "point of pride" in a constantly growing list of GPS accomplishments.