The newly-released list of 2013 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists includes more Bellevue students than ever before. A record 48 students from Bellevue schools made this year’s prestigious list, more than any other public school district in Washington. Interlake High School has 27 students on the Semifinalist list, the most of any public high school in the state.
The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in college. Bellevue’s high school seniors are well-represented on the Semifinalist list, which is made up of less than one percent of high school seniors nationwide. In addition to the 27 students at Interlake High, Newport High has 13 semifinalists. International School has four semifinalists. Bellevue High has three, and Sammamish High has one. These students are eligible to compete for $2500 National Merit Scholarships.
In addition to the semifinalists, 75 Bellevue students have received Letters of Commendation in recognition of their academic promise. These students will not compete for National Merit Scholarships, but may qualify for scholarships sponsored by private businesses.
For this year’s competition, semifinalists needed to score 216 or better on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test taken last October. To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, semifinalists must meet several additional requirements. They must have an outstanding academic record throughout all four years of high school. They must also receive a recommendation from their principal and earn high SAT scores.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2013 will be announced in the spring.