Seven Andover High School students are among the 16,000 students from across the U.S. competing in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship program.
The students are Richard Chen, Samyak Jain, Sharayu Josh, Daniel Shin, Luke Suh, Yiwei Wang, and John Weng.
“It is such an honor to have seven Andover High School students represented in this competition,” notes Jimmy D’Andrea. “Richard, Samyak, Sharayu, Daniel, Luke, Yiwei, and John have worked with such dedication to reach this point; I am proud of their achievement.”
The seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for one of the 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth about $26 million that will be offered next spring. To compete in the National Merit Scholarship competition, students need to begin the process in their junior year of high school.
“It is an incredible opportunity for our students to be selected as semifinalists,” said Dr. Magda Parvey,
superintendent of Andover Public Schools. “It is an honor to be recognized on a national level for their hard work and academic achievement. I am proud of their commitment and wish them the best in the next step of the process.”
15,000 semifinalists are expected to advance to the finalists’ level, and it is from this group that all National Merit Scholarship winners will be chosen. In February, students will be notified of finalist designation. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.