FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 28 ... amazonaws com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 28, 2015 Contacts: Kim Nogi Marketing and Communications Manager 404-609-6173; [email protected] David Long Director of Marketing and Communications 404-609-6259; [email protected] Thirty-Three Westminster Students Named 2016 National Merit Scholarship Competition Semifinalists ATLANTA – The Westminster Schools has announced 33 students as semifinalists in the 61st annual National Merit Scholarship Program: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Sarah Benedict Cleveland R. Chambliss Faith E. Cho Kensington B. Cochran Anish Dayal Joshua S. Doman Clare H. Draper Daniel R. Eisenhower Charlotte M. Folinus Albert G. Hill Elizabeth Huang Joseph A. King Pierson L. Klein Alex Kong Robert Landlord Ariana S. Mao William F. McGahan
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Grant T. Oesterling John P. Ostrowski James F. Pastan Vivienne B. Reed Dylan P. Reichert Pranav S. Rekapalli Nilai M. Sarda Andrew W. Shackelford Leafia X. Sheraden-Cox Rebecca H. Shin Carson K. Simon Sara K. Sklenka Nicholas M. Tassopoulos Venkat E. Tummala Lisa Xiao Katherine J. Zhu
These high school seniors are among approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 2016 competition, and they will have the opportunity to compete for approximately 7,400 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million. The scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2016.
1424 West Paces Ferry Road, NW • Atlanta, GA 30327 www.westminster.net
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. Of the 16,000 semifinalists, approximately 15,000 students are expected to advance to the finalist level. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of finalists. 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. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 440 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. About the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Competition About 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2014 preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. To become a finalist, the semifinalist and his or her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. From the approximately 16,000 semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of finalists. 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. For more information, visit nationalmerit.org.
1424 West Paces Ferry Road, NW • Atlanta, GA 30327 www.westminster.net
About The Westminster Schools
The Westminster Schools is a Christian, independent day school for boys and girls from prefirst through high school, which seeks to develop the whole person for college and for life through an excellent education. Westminster was founded in 1951, and has since grown to be one of the nation’s premier independent schools, distinguishing itself as a leader among its peers. Graduates of the school go on to attend leading colleges and universities and to live adult lives of personal accomplishment, service, and leadership. For more information, visit westminster.net. ###
1424 West Paces Ferry Road, NW • Atlanta, GA 30327 www.westminster.net
Sarah Benedict Cleveland R. Chambliss Faith E. Cho Kensington B. Cochran Anish Dayal Joshua S. Doman Clare H. Draper Daniel R. Eisenhower Charlotte M. Folinus Albert G. Hill Elizabeth Huang Joseph A. King Pierson L. Klein Alex Kong Robert Landlord Ariana S. Mao William F. McGahan
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Grant T. Oesterling John P. Ostrowski James F. Pastan Vivienne B. Reed Dylan P. Reichert Pranav S. Rekapalli Nilai M. Sarda Andrew W. Shackelford Leafia X. Sheraden-Cox Rebecca H. Shin Carson K. Simon Sara K. Sklenka Nicholas M. Tassopoulos Venkat E. Tummala Lisa Xiao Katherine J. Zhu
These high school seniors are among approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 2016 competition, and they will have the opportunity to compete for approximately 7,400 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million. The scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2016.
1424 West Paces Ferry Road, NW • Atlanta, GA 30327 www.westminster.net
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. Of the 16,000 semifinalists, approximately 15,000 students are expected to advance to the finalist level. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of finalists. 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. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 440 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. About the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Competition About 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2014 preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. To become a finalist, the semifinalist and his or her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. From the approximately 16,000 semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of finalists. 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. For more information, visit nationalmerit.org.
1424 West Paces Ferry Road, NW • Atlanta, GA 30327 www.westminster.net
About The Westminster Schools
The Westminster Schools is a Christian, independent day school for boys and girls from prefirst through high school, which seeks to develop the whole person for college and for life through an excellent education. Westminster was founded in 1951, and has since grown to be one of the nation’s premier independent schools, distinguishing itself as a leader among its peers. Graduates of the school go on to attend leading colleges and universities and to live adult lives of personal accomplishment, service, and leadership. For more information, visit westminster.net. ###
1424 West Paces Ferry Road, NW • Atlanta, GA 30327 www.westminster.net
