2 National Merit Semifinalists In Cortlandt Area Chosen For 2024

CORTLANDT, NY — The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of over 16,000 semifinalists in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program Wednesday, including two from Cortlandt Manor and Montrose.

These high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring.

The local semifinalists are:

CORTLANDT MANOR

Walter Panas High School

• Johan G. Easaw

MONTROSE

Hendrick Hudson High School

• George Wright

They entered the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program as juniors by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The group, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was
established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 320 business
organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s
scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.