70th Annual National Merit Awards

National Merit Scholars Graphic

Twenty-Nine HCS Students Named National Merit Semifinalists

  • September 11, 2024

    The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of 29 Horry County Schools students as Semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These HCS students are among approximately 16,000 Semifinalists who have an opportunity to compete for 7,250 National Merit Scholarships.

    HCS National Merit Semifinalists

    • From Carolina Forest High School: Caleb Harrison and Cody Harrison

    • From Conway High School and the Academy for the Arts, Science & Technology: Tracy Wofford

    • From Myrtle Beach High School: Fabian Lala

    • From Myrtle Beach High School and the Academy for the Arts, Science & Technology: Rachel Pirttima

    • From North Myrtle Beach High School: Lauren Mathis

    • From Scholars Academy High School: Imane Aboulqassim, Peter Bleyer, Elaine Deng, Brandon Denley, Sean Dobis, Anwi Fomundam, Cielo Gruber, Justin Hawes, Chase Klauder, Cameron Kuperman, Samuel Laing, Leigha Lambert, Maggie Moran, Hunter Neidig, Cora Phillips, Haydn Sloop, Alex Tabaku, Joseph Trotta, Tia Vu, Susan Zheng, and Guoxin Zhong

    • From St. James High School: Tristen Cordi and Noah Marks

    • About 95 percent of the Semifinalists typically go on to attain Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title. High school juniors across the country entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

      To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and his or her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application. They provide information about the Semifinalist's academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student's earlier performance on the qualifying test.

      From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 typically advance to the Finalist level. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected based on their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, regardless of gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

      Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2025. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships awarded on a state-representational basis. About 950 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by as many as 180 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria. In addition, about 160 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution. 

      National Merit Scholarship winners of 2025 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July.