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Seniors named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

9/14/2017

Richland School District Two students have been named semifinalists in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship (NMSC) program.

Spring Valley High School seniors Vinita Cheepurupalli, Victoria K. Hopkins, Isaac S. Lee, Thomas McLean and Matthew B. Payne are among the approximately 16,000 semifinalists announced today by NMSC.

These academically talented high school students move on to compete for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth about $32 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and more than half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning a Merit Scholar title.

NMSC, a non-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 420 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.