HCHS seniors among National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

HOUSTON COUNTY, GA – Houston County High School seniors Mori

Crocker and Will Freeman have been designated national scholar semifinalists by

the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).  Mori was selected as a

National Achievement Scholar, and Will was chosen as a National Merit Scholar.

 

Mori was one of more than 160,000 high school juniors from across the U. S.

considered for the 2013 National Achievement Scholarship Program. Of those,

more than 1,600 black American high school seniors were selected. She is now

competing for approximately 800 Achievement Scholarship awards worth more than

$2.5 million which will be offered next spring. To be considered for a National

Achievement Scholarship, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to

advance to the finalist level. About 80 percent of semifinalists are expected

to attain finalist standing, and more than half of the finalists will win an

Achievement Scholarship award.

Will is one of approximately 16,000 National Merit semifinalists who continue

in the competition. About 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools

entered the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program. The nationwide pool of

semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors,

includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. The number of

semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the

national total of graduating seniors. Some 8,300 National Merit Scholarships

worth more than $32 million will be offered next spring.

 

Students are selected based on 2011 preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship

Qualifying Test scores. Semifinalists are designated within geographic regions

and are the highest-scoring program entrants in the states that make up each

region.

 

To advance to the Finalist level in the competition, the Semifinalist and their

high school must submit a detailed scholarship application in which they

provide information about the student’s academic record, participation in

school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, and

educational goals.  Semifinalists must present a record of high academic

performance throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high

school official, write an essay and earn SAT scores that confirm their

PSAT/NMSQT performance. They will be notified of this award in January.

 

Houston County High School is located at 920 Highway 96 in Warner Robin.  Dr.

Michelle Masters serves as principal.