The National Merit Scholarship Corporation recently released the names of the 67^th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalists who have been officially named finalists.

This year’s National Merit semifinalists from the Bolles Class of 2022 – Livi Edwards ’22, Max Frohman ’22 and Benjamin McGraw ’22 – are now finalists in the annual competition.

The students will continue in the competition for 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million which will be offered in the spring. More than 1.5 million juniors from 21,000 high schools around the country entered the 2022 scholarship program by taking the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, also known as the PSAT/NMSQT. That test served as an initial screen or program entrants. The semifinalists represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors.

To become a finalist, semifinalists must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment and honors and awards received. They must have an outstanding academic record through high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official and write an essay. More than 90 percent of semifinalists usually attain finalist standing.