Massapequa High School senior David Marques was named a semifinalist in the 61st annual National Merit Scholarship Program, placing him among the top 1 percent of the brightest and most promising high school seniors across the country. Four additional high-achieving seniors, Miranda McLeer, Danielle Altamura, Sean Fiola and Jake Sabia, were also recognized with letters of commendation.
To qualify for these honors, students must attain exceptional scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and meet other program requirements. About 16,000 of the highest-scoring students, or less than one percent in the country, become Semifinalists out of 1.5 million test takers nationwide. Most of them will be selected as finalists after fulfilling more rigorous requirements over the next few months. Finalists, who are notified in February, are contenders for more than 74,000 scholarships worth more than $32 million that are awarded in the spring.
“These academically talented students are outstanding role models for their peers,” said Massapequa High School Principal Dr. Barbara Williams. “We wish David luck as he continues on in this competition and applaud our other award recipients for a job well done.”
About 34,000 high-scoring students were recognized with letters of commendation and although these students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some of them become candidates for special scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.
—Submitted by Massapequa Public Schools
