September 19, 2022

Ames High Students Name National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Five Ames High School students have been named semifinalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) mailed Certificates of Merit to principals across the country, notifying them of the students who have advanced to Semifinalist standing in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program.

High school students entered the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Pro­gram by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The 16,000 Semifinalists are the highest-scoring entrants in each state and represent less than 1 percent of each state’s high school seniors. They are the only participants who qualify to continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships to be awarded in the spring of 2023.

Congratulations to these Ames High School Semifinalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program:

  • Katie Gu
  • David Dong
  • Clara Fields
  • Leslie Kim
  • Angelina Chen

To be considered in the rigorous competition for National Merit Scholarships, Semifinalists must advance to the Finalist level of the competition by meeting additional standards and fulfilling several requirements. These include having a record of very high academic performance in college preparatory course work, submitting SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the PSAT /NMSQT performance, and being fully endorsed and recommended by a high school official. As a part of completing the detailed scholarship application, each Semifinalist writes an essay and gives information about activities/volunteer service, leadership positions, honors or awards, and employment. A school official must provide a written recommendation and characterization of the Semifinalist, the student’s academic record, and information about the school’s curricula and grading system.

Congratulations to these Ames High students!