Prep Talk

John Kolnik is Semi-Finalist in National Merit® Scholarship Program

Posted September 15th, 2014

St. Augustine Preparatory School is proud to announce that senior class member, John P. Kolnik , of Sewell, has been named a National Merit Semifinalist in the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program. He is now one of approximately 16,000 semifinalists nationally who will continue in the scholarship competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million that will be offered next spring.

The National Merit^® Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships which honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT^®)—a test which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.5 million entrants each year—and by meeting published program entry/participation requirements. Some 50,000 students with the highest PSAT/NMSQT^® Selection Index scores (critical reading + mathematics + writing skills scores) qualify for recognition in the National Merit^® Scholarship Program.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill 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.