The announcement was made a few days ago by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). Area cities represented on the list are and the number of students from each are: Gainesville (3), Oakwood (1), Hoschton (3), Suwanee (10), Carnesville (2), Buford (2), Blue Ridge (1), Cumming (13), Athens (6), and Watkinsville (1).
The students from Gainesville are: Andrew Z. Barnett (Chestatee High School), William F. Morris (Gainesville High), and Austin Montgomery (Lakeview Academy). Savannah L. Schneider of Oakwood's West Hall High School rounds out the list of semifinalists from Hall County.
The 16,000 high school seniors from around the country have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,300 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million 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. About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and more than half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
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.
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