EVANSTON, Illinois — The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced on June 6 approximately 3,500 winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by U.S. colleges and universities.
Abigail K. Raymond of Biddeford, who recently graduated from the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone, was one of two students in Aroostook County to receive a scholarship. She plans to attend Bowdoin College to study medicine.
Everett Zuras of Presque Isle also won a scholarship.
Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the finalists in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.
Over 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program when they took the 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than 1 percent of the nation’s seniors.
Each semifinalist submitted a scholarship application, which included an essay and details 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 the qualifying test performance.
