Gabrielle Bulliard, a senior at Magnolia High School, has been notified by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation that she has been named a Semifinalist in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Gabrielle is the daughter of Carla and Tim Bulliard.
Officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) have announced the names of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists. These academically talented high school seniors now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 Merit Scholarship awards, worth over $31 million that will be offered next spring.
NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual national Merit Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC’s own funds and approximately 400 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.
Over 1.5 million juniors in over 21,000 U.S. high schools entered the 2020 National Merit Program by taking the 2018 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQTÒ), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors were named Semifinalists. The Semifinalist talent pool is designated on a state representational basis, and the number of Semifinalists in each state is proportional to its percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
The next step for Semifinalists is to fulfill requirements to advance to Finalist standing, a prerequisite to consideration for a Merit Scholarship award. To become Finalists, Semifinalists 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. The Semifinalist and a school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, which also includes the student’s self-descriptive essay, and information about the Semifinalist’s participation and leadership in school and community activities.
Approximately 15,000 Semifinalists are expected to advance to the Finalist level and it is from this group that all National Merit Scholarship winners will be chosen. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.
Three types of Merit Scholarship awards will be offered in the spring of 2020. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored scholarships will be provided by some 220 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 180 colleges and universities are expected to provide at least 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsoring institution.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2020 will be announced in four nationwide releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These winners will join more than 345,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.