12 named National Merit Semifinalists

Twelve Upper St. Clair High School seniors were recently named Semifinalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program. The following students scored in the top one percent of all juniors completing the PSAT in October 2015:

• Paul Abrams
• Amna Amin
• Tyler W. Besselman
• Aditi Chattopadhyay
• Devon D. Garcia
• Macey A. Kaplan
• Arushi Kewalramani
• Tanmayee Mahajan
• Malcolm T. Miller
• Murphy S. Miller
• Vicki Z. Wang
• Claire K. Zalla

“We are incredibly proud of these 12 hardworking students,” Dr. Lou Angelo, Upper St. Clair High School principal, said. “The National Merit Scholarship Program is among our nation’s most esteemed academic honors for high school students.”

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 1.5 million entrants, the top one third (approximately 16,000 students) qualify as Semifinalists.

The Upper St. Clair Semifinalists have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,400 Merit Scholarships that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the Semifinalists on Sept. 14, 2016. National Merit Finalists will be named in February 2017, followed by the National Merit Scholars in the spring.

For more information regarding the National Merit Scholarship Program, visit: www.nationalmerit.org.