Three South Kingstown High School students were named National Merit finalists, bringing them one step closer to consideration for 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million.
The finalists are Kathryn Barrus, Sierra Silversmith, and Olivia Walsh. With over 50,000 students to compete with, these students were of the top third named semifinalists in the Fall. Today, all three of these academically talented high school seniors have been moved to finalist status.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. They must be amongst the highest scoring entrants in each state. They must have a record of very high academic performance in grades 9 through 12. They must be endorsed by a high school official and earn scores on the SAT/ACT that confirm their PSAT/NMSQT scores. In February, our three South Kingstown High School students along with 15,000 other students across the country were informed that they would advance to the finalist standing.
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 340 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.
National Merit Scholarships
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2023.
Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit® $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis.
About 950 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 180 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located.
In addition, about 160 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2023 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join nearly 368,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
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About South Kingstown School District
South Kingstown School District is a proud Professional Learning Community built upon collaborative leadership and 21st-century deep learning competencies while developing a culture of equity, openness, and sharing of ideas.