Irvine’s National Merit Scholars
By Irvine City News staff
Though school has been out for a while now, students from Irvine Unified School District schools, as well as Irvine-based students studying elsewhere, are still earning awards and scholarships. Among the most prestigious are National Merit Scholarships, which can be awarded from companies and foundations, individual schools and from National Merit Scholarship Corp.’s (NMSC) own funds.
More than 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program when they took the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.
In September 2016, some 16,000 semifinalists were designated on a state-representational basis in numbers proportional to each state’s percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors. Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than one percent of the nation’s seniors.
To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, semifinalists had to fulfill requirements to advance to finalist standing. Each semifinalist was asked to complete 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 high school official, and earn SAT scores that confirmed their qualifying test performance. From the semifinalist group, some 15,000 met finalist requirements.
By the conclusion of the 2017 competition, about 7,500 finalists will have been selected to receive National Merit Scholarships totaling over $32 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.
Note, the National Merit Scholarship folks provide this note: “CAUTION: Any attempt to compare high schools on the basis of numbers of Merit Scholarship winners will lead to erroneous and unsound conclusions.
The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The program does not measure the quality or effectiveness of education within a school, system, or state.”
Still, one can’t help but note that Irvine students did spectacularly well in winning the prestigious scholarships. Congratulations to some of Irvine’s most meritorious scholars!
National Merit-Sponsored Scholarships:
National Merit $2,500 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. NMSC finances most of these single-payment National Merit $2,500 Scholarships.
Corporations and company foundations that sponsor awards through NMSC also help underwrite these scholarships with grants they provide in lieu of paying administrative fees. Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
Vicki M. Chen
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Finance
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Hemal Madaan
WOODBRIDGE H.S.
Probable career field: Business Management
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Shilpa Rajagopal
NORTHWOOD H.S.
Probable career field: Biology
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Akanksha Sah
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Law I
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Phillip H. Seo
UNIVERSITY H. S.
Probable career field: Economics
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP UNDERWRITTEN BY THE UPS FOUNDATION
Alan B. Shi
NORTHWOOD H.S.
Probable career field: Healthcare
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Vicki Wang
IRVINE H.S.
Probable career field: Biology
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Nancy Wu
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Design
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Younjin Song
ARNOLD O. BECKMAN H.S.
Probable career field: Business
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Ethan R. Davis
CRANBROOK KINGSWOOD SCHOOL, BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI
(Ethan, an Irvine resident, is attending school in MI.)
Probable career field: Academia
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Richard A. Grannis-Vu
HOMESCHOOL
Probable career field: Computer Science
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
University-Sponsored National Merit Scholarships:
Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institutions. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.
Shourya Chawla
IRVINE H.S.
Probable career field: Finance
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHOLARSHIP
Richard Hua
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Biology
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHOLARSHIP
Jenny Ji
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Medicine IRVINE
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA SCHOLARSHIP
Chuangqi Lao
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Computer Science
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
SCHOLARSHIP
Jeremy S. Pan
ARNOLD O. BECKMAN H.S.
Probable career field: Medicine
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships:
Corporate sponsors provide National Merit Scholarships for finalists who are children of their employees, who are residents of communities the company serves, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage.
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.
Isabelle S. Zhou
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Business Administration
Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc.
More than 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program when they took the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.
In September 2016, some 16,000 semifinalists were designated on a state-representational basis in numbers proportional to each state’s percentage of the national total of graduating high school seniors. Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than one percent of the nation’s seniors.
To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, semifinalists had to fulfill requirements to advance to finalist standing. Each semifinalist was asked to complete 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 high school official, and earn SAT scores that confirmed their qualifying test performance. From the semifinalist group, some 15,000 met finalist requirements.
By the conclusion of the 2017 competition, about 7,500 finalists will have been selected to receive National Merit Scholarships totaling over $32 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.
Note, the National Merit Scholarship folks provide this note: “CAUTION: Any attempt to compare high schools on the basis of numbers of Merit Scholarship winners will lead to erroneous and unsound conclusions.
The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The program does not measure the quality or effectiveness of education within a school, system, or state.”
Still, one can’t help but note that Irvine students did spectacularly well in winning the prestigious scholarships. Congratulations to some of Irvine’s most meritorious scholars!
National Merit-Sponsored Scholarships:
National Merit $2,500 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. NMSC finances most of these single-payment National Merit $2,500 Scholarships.
Corporations and company foundations that sponsor awards through NMSC also help underwrite these scholarships with grants they provide in lieu of paying administrative fees. Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
Vicki M. Chen
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Finance
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Hemal Madaan
WOODBRIDGE H.S.
Probable career field: Business Management
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Shilpa Rajagopal
NORTHWOOD H.S.
Probable career field: Biology
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Akanksha Sah
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Law I
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Phillip H. Seo
UNIVERSITY H. S.
Probable career field: Economics
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP UNDERWRITTEN BY THE UPS FOUNDATION
Alan B. Shi
NORTHWOOD H.S.
Probable career field: Healthcare
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Vicki Wang
IRVINE H.S.
Probable career field: Biology
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Nancy Wu
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Design
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Younjin Song
ARNOLD O. BECKMAN H.S.
Probable career field: Business
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Ethan R. Davis
CRANBROOK KINGSWOOD SCHOOL, BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI
(Ethan, an Irvine resident, is attending school in MI.)
Probable career field: Academia
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
Richard A. Grannis-Vu
HOMESCHOOL
Probable career field: Computer Science
NATIONAL MERIT $2,500 SCHOLARSHIP
University-Sponsored National Merit Scholarships:
Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the 2017 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institutions. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.
Shourya Chawla
IRVINE H.S.
Probable career field: Finance
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHOLARSHIP
Richard Hua
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Biology
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHOLARSHIP
Jenny Ji
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Medicine IRVINE
UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA SCHOLARSHIP
Chuangqi Lao
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Computer Science
VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
SCHOLARSHIP
Jeremy S. Pan
ARNOLD O. BECKMAN H.S.
Probable career field: Medicine
BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships:
Corporate sponsors provide National Merit Scholarships for finalists who are children of their employees, who are residents of communities the company serves, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage.
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.
Isabelle S. Zhou
UNIVERSITY H.S.
Probable career field: Business Administration
Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc.