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GSSM leads the state in National Merit Semifinalists
September 23, 2009
Once again, the S.C. Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics (GSSM) leads Palmetto State high schools with the largest number of National Merit Semifinalists. Fifteen students from the class of 2010 recently were notified of their eligibility in the National Merit Semifinalists program. They are among 16,000 students across the United States now vying for 8,200 scholarships worth more than $36 million that will be offered next spring.GSSM’s National Merit Semifinalists include:
Rowan Armstrong – North Charleston
Kayla Broeker – Orangeburg
Alexis Carr – Chester
Alice Chang – Summerville
China Cox – Mullins
Dominic Ranz Ebarle Errazo – Goose Creek
Millie Griffin – Florence
Ramiz Hamid – Saint Helena
Emily Harruff – Columbia
Andy Jenkins – Abbeville
Somin (Susie) Lee – Greenville
James F. McManus Jr. – Lexington
Peter Rassolov – Columbia
Alice Sudlow – Florence
Seok-Hyun Sung – Columbia
“I’m really proud each one of these fifteen students, not just for their outstanding results with National Merit Scholarships, but for all that they do,” said Murray Brockman, GSSM president.
“They are truly exceptional in every way and all the credit goes to them and to their families as they bring honor to themselves, our school and our state.”
One-hundred and forty-six S.C. public high school and homeschool students were announced as semifinalists Wednesday.
About 90 percent of the total 16,000 semifinalists are expected to advance to the finalist level, and approximately half of those will eventually earn a scholarship, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the program’s non-profit sponsor.
More than 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2010 National Merit Program by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which serves as an initial screening.
The
number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s
percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. To advance to
the finalist stage, a semifinalist must have an outstanding academic
record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the high
school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
A detailed scholarship application – including an essay and information about the student’s participation and leadership in school and community activities – also is required. Merit Scholars will be selected from the finalist pool on the basis of their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
Scholarship awards will be announced in beginning April 2010 and concluding in July.
