11 USC Seniors Named National Merit Scholarship Finalists

UPPER ST. CLAIR, PA — Eleven Upper St. Clair High School seniors were recently named finalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. They were selected on the basis of their SAT scores, grades, essays and letters of recommendation.

The students are:

• Richard A. Carlson.

• Christian G. Chiu.

• Harrison L. Chui.

• Donovan P. Kohler.

• Richa N. Mahajan.

• Shay A. McDowell.

• Samantha E. Seewald.

• Ishaan N. Shah.

• Sophia Shi.

• Constantine S. Tripodes.

• Jason D. Zhang.

In September 2020, these Upper St. Clair students were named Semifinalists in the competition for scoring in the top one percent of all juniors completing the PSAT in October 2019.

“We are incredibly proud of our 11 students who have been recognized as National Merit Finalists,” principal Timothy Wagner said. “This is an amazing testament to their academic abilities and unlimited potential.”

Founded in 1955, the National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. Students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the PSAT – the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test – during the fall of their junior year. Of the nearly 1.6 million entrants, the top one percent (approximately 16,000 students) qualify as Semifinalists.

As Finalists, the Upper St. Clair seniors are now competing for National Merit Scholarships that will be offered and announced this spring. The program awards three types of scholarships: National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships and college-sponsored merit scholarships.