Seven students who attend Canyons District high schools are one step closer to being named National Merit Scholars. The students from Alta, Brighton and Hillcrest high schools, respectively have earned finalist status in the 57th annual scholarship competition.
The students have progressed through two rounds of judging and remain in contention for National Merit Scholarships worth a combined $36 million. Competition for the scholarships is stiff: About 15,000 students nationwide earned the finalist designation.
| The students are: |
| Alta Abbey Diener Emily Herman |
| Brighton Carly Michelle Taylor |
| Hillcrest Ryan T. Baker Mairin R. Buckley Pierce Olin Darragh Dale Wilson Fox III |
In March, the National Merit Scholarship Committee will begin mailing scholarship offers to winners at their homes and confidential notices to high school principals.
About 1.5 million juniors in about 22,000 high schools entered the competition by taking the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, the initial screen of the applicants. Students also must submit an essay, be recommended by the high school principal, and demonstrate leadership at school and in the community.
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 scholarships that will be awarded on a state representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by about 250 corporations and business organizations for students who meet specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 200 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,900 college-sponsored awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
