Clarence High School Student Named National Merit Scholarship Program Semifinalist

A Clarence High School senior shared his excitement after being named a National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalist, reflecting that he was among the top performers in the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

“It feels quite unreal,” said James Jiang.

James was one of about 16,000 students selected for the semifinalist recognition from the approximately 1.3 million students that took the test. Students looking to advance to the finalist level and to be considered for a scholarship in the national program will be required to fulfill several requirements, including the completion of an essay and the submission of a detailed application showing their academic performance and extracurricular activities. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation said they are offering 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million next spring.

James is a member of the High School’s Science Olympiad team, and also has an interest in robotics. He said in the future he was interested in studying something in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, such as computer science.

More information about the National Merit Scholarship Program can be found at www.nationalmerit.org.