Two Veritas Christian Academy seniors have earned National Merit Scholarships. Jessie Callaway has won the National Merit Corporate Scholarship.  Callaway is one of approximately 1,000 distinguished high school seniors nationwide to win a National Merit Scholarship award.  Most of these awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $500 to $10,000 per year. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.  Jessie will attend Auburn University in Birmingham, Alabama this fall.

       Andy Chu is one of 2,500 distinguished high school students to win a National Merit $2,500 Scholarship.  Andy was chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program.  National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the Finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. They were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors. These Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university. Andy will attend Duke University this fall.   

       More than 1.5 million juniors in over 22,000 high schools entered the 2010 National Merit Scholarship competition when they took the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. In September 2009, some 16,000 Semifinalists were designated on a state representational basis, in numbers proportional to each state’s percentage of the nation’s high school graduating seniors. Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than one percent of a state’s seniors.

       To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, Semifinalists had to fulfill requirements to advance to Finalist standing. Each Semifinalist submitted a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay, and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists also had to have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a school official, and earn SAT scores that confirmed their qualifying test performance. Some 15,000 Semifinalists met Finalist requirements.

       By the conclusion of the 2010 competition, about 8,400 Finalists will be selected to receive National Merit Scholarships totaling over $36 million. Winners are the Finalist candidates judged to have the strongest combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

       Established in 1955 to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program, NMSC is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. The majority of National Merit Scholarships offered each year are underwritten by some 500 independent corporate and college sponsors that support NMSC’s efforts to honor the nation’s scholastic talent and encourage academic excellence at all levels of education.