Three Moravian Academy seniors Emmett Hawkins ’19, Ryan Hoffman ’19, and Lauren Lee ’19 are among the 16,000 selected nationwide as Semifinalists in the 64th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring.

We are extremely proud of Emmett, Ryan, and Lauren for earning this achievement! Moravian Academy’s consistent showing in the National Merit Scholarship program is a true testament to the dedication shown by our faculty and staff to provide a strong academic foundation for our students in preparation for college work and beyond. 

About 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the program by taking the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screening for applicants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state.

Over 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, which will be announced in February 2019. About half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

For more information about the competition, visit the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s website at www.nationalmerit.org.