September 13, 2018
By: Dwayne Page
A DeKalb County High School senior has qualified as a Semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Madison Elizabeth (Madi) Cantrell, daughter of Todd and Jenny Cantrell, has been named among 16,000 Semifinalists nationwide for this honor. The National Merit® Scholarship Program awards individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
Cantrell has been identified among these academically talented high school seniors who 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. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. Over 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.
“We are very, very proud of Madison. This is my 17th year here at DCHS and this is only the second student we have had during that time to qualify as a semifinalist,” said Lori Myrick, Guidance Counselor at DCHS.
Principal Randy Jennings informed Director of Schools Patrick Cripps and the Board of Education of this honor for Madison during Thursday night’s regular monthly school board meeting. He also introduced Madison who was seated in the audience.
NMSC, a not-for-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 410 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.
Over 1.6 million juniors in about 22,000 high schools entered the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2017 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and his or her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. 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.