Matthew Scola '20 was selected as a winner in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program and will receive a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship.
According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), "approximately 1.6 million students who entered the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program, only about 16,000 were named Semifinalists. They were designated on a state representational basis, in proportion to each state's percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors. In order to advance in the competition and be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, a Semifinalist had to become a Finalist by fulfilling several requirements that included submitting a detailed scholarship application and presenting a record of very high academic performance. All winners of about 7,500 National Merit Scholarships are being chosen from the group of approximately 15,000 distinguished Finalists." Matthew was named a semifinalist in October.
The NMSC added, "All winners of Merit Scholarship® awards (Merit Scholar® designees) are chosen from the Finalist group based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments—without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. A variety of information is available for NMSC selectors to evaluate: The Finalist's academic record, information about the school's curricula and grading system, PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index score, the high school official's written recommendation, information about the student's activities and leadership, and the Finalist's own essay."
Congratulations to Matthew on his remarkable academic accomplishment!