Merit Scholarship semifinalists

GOSHEN — Seven Orange County high school students are among the 16,000 semifinalists in the 59th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

“These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,000 National Merit Scholarships worth about $35 million that will be offered next spring,” program officials in their press release announcing the semifinalists.

The seven
The seven semifinalists from Orange County, their high school and the subject they plan to study in college - if they have decided that at this point - are:

Agastya B. Easley
Chester Academy

Business administration, management and operations

Kristina J. Hwang
Cornwall High School

Undecided
Kenan Cabuk
Goshen High School

Biology/biological sciences
Margaret M. Conley

Goshen High School
Undecided
Christine Phelan

Monroe-Woodbury High School
Undecided

Kyle R. Roeloffs
Warwick Valley High School

Neuroscience
Heather N. Strelevitz

Washingtonville High School
Undecided

Steps in the 2014 competition
About 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, 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 their 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.

Finalists will be announced in February.

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2014 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July.