November 5, 1998
National Merit awards to students
By Jacquie Thomas
Herald Editor
Traverse City Area Public Schools was recently notified by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation that 13 local students have been recognized as commended scholars or semi-finalists for the National Merit Finalist.
Traverse City Central High School has five commended scholars: Kimberly Clark, Jennifer Loup, Matthew Moses, Gabe Patterson-Hatton and Ann Townsend, as well as two semi-finalists that will continue the process: Gordon Berman and Bryan Tarr.
Traverse City West Senior High School has two commended scholars: Meghan Crandall and Jeff Bohem, as well as three semi-finalists: Dillon Funkhouser, Katie Kreft and Bill Goeman.
The process was started during their junior year, by taking the PSAT exam, which is the only time and the only opportunity to enter consideration for the National Merit Scholar competition, according to Linda Deneen, Chairperson of the Counseling Center at CHS.
"Above and beyond merit, participating in the PSAT during the junior year establishes communication with colleges and universities. The student designates which institutions are to receive their scores, and the dialog has begun," commented Mrs. Deneen.
"Being a commended scholar has very valuable scholarship potential, even though these students don't continue in the path to be a finalist. This recognition automatically puts the student in the path of corporate and institutional grant considerations. It is a very important designation."
Approximately 15,500 Semifinalists in the 44th annual National Merit Scholarship Program were announced. These academically talented high school seniors now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 Merit Scholarship awards, worth over $28 million, that will be offered next spring.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which conducts the academic competition, is a privately financed, not-for-profit corporation. Scholarships awarded through the Merit program are supported by about 600 independent sponsor organizations and institutions that join NMSC in its efforts to honor scholastically able young men and women, to broaden their educational opportunities, and to encourage academic excellence at all levels.
Nearly 1.2 million students in over 20,000 U.S. high schools entered the 1999 Merit as juniors. The semi-finalists named are the highest scorers in each state and represent less than one percent of each state's high school graduating class.
The next step for Semifinalists is to fulfill requirements for advancement to Finalist standing, a prerequisite to consideration for a Merit Scholarship award. They must have an outstanding high school academic record, be endorsed and recommended by their school principal, and submit SAT scores that confirm their earlier qualifying test performance.
Also, the Semi-finalist and a school official must complete a detailed scholarship application which includes the student's self-descriptive essay as well as information about the Semi-finalist's record of participation and leadership in school and community activities.
About 90 percent, or approximately 14,000, of the semi-finalists are expected to meet the high standards required to become finalists. All 7,600 Merit Scholar designees will be chosen from the Finalist group. Scholarship winners will be the finalists judged by professionals in admission and selection to have the strongest combination of abilities, academic and extracurricular achievements, and personal attributes considered to be important for success in rigorous college studies. These winners will join about 177,600 other distinguished young people who have earned the title Merit Scholar since the completion of the first Merit Program in 1956.
"To be recognized as a National Merit Finalist is the distinction that you are an elite scholar. When you are a semi-finalist, the doors will open very easily," added Deneen.