Seventeen EA students receive National Merit commended status
Posted November 1, 2012
Seventeen Episcopal Academy students recently received Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise as part of the 58th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
The 17 commended students in EA’s Class of 2013 are: P.J. Cusack, Kaitlyn DiMarco, Kevin Flannery, Christina Halcovich, Kristen Hinckley, Catie Hopkins, Claire Kneizys, Meg LeBoeuf, Steven Lucey, Devin McLaughlin, Nick Mead, Shreya Reddy, Curran Reilly, Matt Ruston, Alix Vardot, Matt Vergari, and Katie Wu.
More than two-thirds (about 34,000) of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT® receive Letters of Commendation in recognition of their outstanding academic promise. Commended Students are named on the basis of a nationally applied Selection Index score that may vary from year to year and is typically below the level required for participants to be named Semifinalists in their respective states. Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit® Scholarships, some of these students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.
The recently commended EA students bring the total number of EA students receiving special National Merit Scholarship recognition to 27—10 semifinalists and 17 commended students.
“It is great to see the academic power of the Episcopal Academy student body being recognized through the National Merit competition,” said Hamilton Clark, Head of School. “We strive to be strong in mind, body, and spirit and to have approximately 25 percent of our senior class receive National Merit recognition confirms that we are doing great work on the academic front.”
Episcopal Academy’s 2013 National Merit semifinalists are: Jameson Achuff, Karen Christianson, Julia Fay, Rohan Gulati, Christian Humann, Erin McCarthy, Alexander Rice, Daniel Schlaff, Stacey Sloate, and Anthony Thai. These students will have the 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 meet high academic standards and fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist status, and more than half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.
Front Row: Meg LeBoeuf, Claire Kneizys, Shreya Reddy, Catie Hopkins
2nd Row: Kaitlyn DiMarco, Alix Vadot, Katie Wu, Curran Reilly, Kristin Hinkley, Christina Halcovich
Back Row: Matt Rushton, PJ Cusack, Nick Mead, Kevin Flannery, Steven Lucey, Devin McLaughlin
