Live Oak High School’s James B. Gabbard was named as one of approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 59th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
Gabbard has the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,000 National Merit Scholarships worth about $35 million that will be offered next spring.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fullfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and more than half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a nonprofit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by the NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 440 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.
Gabbard was about 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools that entered the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Meric Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Gabbard was one of the highest scoring entrants in California.
To become a finalist, Gabbard must submit a detailed scholarship application, including his 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.
Finalists, which will be notified in February, will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships; about 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards; and about 4,500 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards who will attend that college’s institution.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2014 will be announced between April and July, joining more than 300,000 other distinguised young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
