Some 16,000 students throughout the country have been named 2011 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. The semifinalists were selected from a pool of about 1.5 million high school juniors. They represent, in proportion to graduating seniors, the individuals who scored highest on Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Tests within the states where they reside.
These scholarships are considered by some to be among the most prestigious of scholarships. To get to even the semifinalist level, students must also perform well academically throughout high school. Their high school principals recommend them for these national awards.
Past National Merit Scholars include Microsoft founder Bill Gates; former first daughter Chelsea Clinton; "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer; CNBC "Mad Money" host Jim Cramer; Amazon.com founder, CEO and chairman of the board Jeff Bezos; Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke; Actress Felicia Day (Vi in "Buffy and the Vampire Slayer"); and Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's.
Winners are chosen based on their achievements and skills, as well as how successful they might be in participating in demanding college and university studies. To get to the next level in the scholarship selection process, the semifinalists must work with high school officials to complete their applications. In addition to demonstrating leadership and involvement in activities within their schools and communities, the semifinalists are required to write essays and score high enough on SAT exams to confirm their previously provided PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test levels.
While the standardized test aspect of these awards has gained the criticism of some, more than 275,000 students have been recipients in the 55 years that these have so far been presented. The top prize of $2,500 is to be provided to 2,500 finalists. Some 5,900 additional Merit Scholarships are to be provided by outside organizations, colleges and universities. Winners are to be announced between April and July 2011.
Many colleges and universities rely on scholarships for merit as a means of drawing academically talented students. According to a 2002 report in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, merit scholarships can serve as motivation for students to place greater emphasis on their studies and can improve the quality of education. The report gave the example of Georgia's Lottery-funded HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) scholarships and noted that African-American high school students with 3.1 grade point averages in core courses saw their average SAT scores rise by more than 20 points.
National Merit Scholarships are provided by the Illinois-based National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a privately funded, non-profit organization. The corporation also awards National Achievement Scholarships exclusively to high achieving African-American students. Each year, some 1,600 National Achievement Scholarship semifinalists are named from an entry field of more than 160,000. This year's semi-finalists are expected to be announced on Sept. 29. A total of 700 National Achievement Scholarships of $2,500 are typically awarded, along with an additional 100 or so awards that are sponsored by outside corporations.
Students can combine their National Merit Scholarships and National Achievement Scholarships with other scholarships they might be awarded, but not with each other. To apply the funds to college and university studies, students must often select institutions that are accredited by nationally recognized agencies. The college scholarships are a reward for students who dedicate themselves to their studies and their future.
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