Hockaday Honors 24 National Merit Semifinalists

The semi-finalists are: Sanika Agarwalla, Sophia Braskamp, Eleanor Browne, Jessica Cai, Elise Cho, Jessica Chung, Angelina Dong, Angela Fan, Defne Gurun, Layo Isaacs-Sodeye, Aadya Kuruvalli, Kaelynn Lee, Grace Little, Lily McKenna, Bridget Qiu, Isabelle Raymond, Anisha Sharma, Margaret Thompson, Ariana Wang, Lydia Wissel, Yoyo Yuan, Kimberly Zhang, Sophia Zhang and Julia Zhao.

 

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,250 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 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. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

 

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 340 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.