Left to right: Grace Weil, Merlin Phillips
Two Hopkins High School seniors were named semifinalists while three scholars were given letters of commendation.
Seniors Merlin Phillips and Grace Weil are among a prestigious group of students named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. They are two of about 16,000 semifinalists in the scholarship program this year.
Hopkins scholars Gavin Lorinser, Beatrice Durham, and Michael Sandler were named Commended Students for their outstanding academic promise. Commended Students do not move on in the competition for the National Merit scholarships but some of these students become candidates for special scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.
To be considered for the National Merit Scholarship, students in their junior year must take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which serves as the initial screening of program entrants. Students must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, complete an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier PSAT/NMSQT scores.
From over 16,000 semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level. Finalists will be announced in February 2023. National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July.
Left to right: Gavin Lorinser, Beatrice Durham, Michael Sandler