Granada High School Student Wins National Merit Scholarship

LIVERMORE, CA — Madeline Straus, a recent graduate of San Ramon Valley High School, joined a growing list of Livermore students who have received National Merit Scholarships.

Straus was awarded the National Merit Tufts University Scholarship, one of the 3,000 college-sponsored awards that provide between $500 and $2,500 annually to students who plan to attend that university. Straus said in the NMSC news release that she will likely study mathematics.

In 2023, 153 colleges and universities are sponsoring over 3,800 Merit Scholarship awards. In 2023, a total of 7,140 students across the students received a total of nearly $28 million in aid, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Yoav Feigenbaum of Granada High School was the one other Livermore student to win a National Merit Scholarship in 2023.

Students were entered into the National Merit Scholarship competition as juniors taking the PSAT in 2021. In September, around 16,000 semifinalists were named based on each state's proportion of graduating seniors. Semifinalists were the top-scoring entrants in their states and represent fewer than one percent of high school seniors in the United States.

To be considered for finalist status, semifinalists had to submit a detailed scholarship application with an essay and details on extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions as well as demonstrate an outstanding academic record and have an endorsement from a high school official. Around 15,000 finalists met the requirements for finalist status and were eligible to be chosen for corporate-sponsored, National Merit Scholarship-sponsored and college-sponsored awards.