News
Lucie DeGaetano Named National Merit Scholar
Receives $2,500 college scholarship
Girls Preparatory School is proud to announce that Lucie DeGaetano ’24 has been selected as a National Merit Scholar. With this prestigious honor, she receives a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship for college.
Earlier this year, Lucie and her classmates Abigail Carpenter and Ella Harris were named Finalists in the scholarship competition, which began during the 2022-23 school year. The initial qualification is based on the scores earned from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which is taken junior year. Students who receive a Selection Index score of 207 or above are considered high performers.
Of those recognized for their impressive performances, 34,000 were named Commended Students, while the remaining 16,000 were named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists; the nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. The selection process involves evaluating substantial amounts of information about Finalists obtained from both students and their high schools. Included are the Finalist’s academic record (course load and difficulty level, depth and breadth of subjects studied, and grades earned); PSAT/NMSQT scores; the student’s essay; demonstrated leadership and contributions to school and community activities; and the school official’s written recommendation and characterization of the Finalist.
By the conclusion of the 2024 program, more than 7,000 Finalists will have earned the Merit Scholar title and received a total of roughly $30 million in college scholarships.
National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC)
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC), a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of scholarships offered each year are underwritten by approximately 340 independent corporate and college sponsors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring scholastically talented youth and encouraging academic excellence at all levels of education.
