Schools
2 from El Cerrito High Are National Merit Scholarship Semi-finalists
Two El Cerrito High School seniors have been named National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists, a group that represents less than one percent of the approximately 1.5 million students who took the qualifying PSAT test last year.
The list of semi-finalists in the 58th annual National Merit Scholarship competition released this month includes two students from El Cerrito High School.
They are seniors Nicholas A. Shebeck and Mariko Whitenack.
They are among approximately 16,000 students nationwide to achieve semi-finalist status and represent less than 1 percent of the approximately 1.5 million students who took the qualifying PSAT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) when they were juniors last year, according to the National Merit Scholarship Program. The standardized test measures critical reading, math problem-solving and writing skills.
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About half of the semi-finalists will be chosen to receive National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million total that will be offered in the spring.
Semi-finalists are chosen according to the highest PSAT scores by state, while finalist status and scholarship awards are based on a broader range of factors, including academic record, activities, leadership abilities, an essay, honors, awards and SAT scores.
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