A student at a Salina school is a semifinalist for a prestigious scholarship. According to USD 305 Spencer Angell, a senior at Central High School, was named Semifinalist for the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Angell will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships.

Over 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2019 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

Semifinalists have to fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of competition. They have to complete a detailed scholarship application that includes information about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. They must also have outstanding academic records throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official and write an essay.

From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.