Guangqian Christopher Dai, a senior at Magnolia High School, has been notified by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation that he has been named a Semifinalist in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
Officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) 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 7,500 Merit Scholarship awards, worth nearly $30 million that will be offered next spring.
High school juniors entered the 2022 National Merit Program by taking the 2020 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 16,000 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 2022. 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 2022 will be announced in four nationwide releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These winners will join more than 362,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
Christopher is the son of Yonghu Dai and Juping Wang.