Home Education and Careers Diocese of Wilmington Catholic schools — Archmere, Padua, Salesianum, Ursuline — have...

Diocese of Wilmington Catholic schools — Archmere, Padua, Salesianum, Ursuline — have National Merit scholarship semifinalists

1663
(Getty Images)

Six high school seniors at Catholic schools in the Diocese of Wilmington have been named semifinalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program. They are among the 16,000 students who will continue in the competition for approximately 7,500 National Merit scholarships that will be offered next spring.

The students are Simi Edeki, Eddie Zhang and Nicholas Zhu of Archmere Academy; Arundhati Dole of Padua Academy; Seamus Oliver of Salesianum School; and Margaret Lober of Ursuline Academy.

Semifinalists qualified by taking the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. They represent less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors. The number of semifinalists from each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

To become a finalist, these students and a high school official must submit a detailed application that includes academic information, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. Approximately 15,000 will advance to the finalist level, and half of those will receive scholarships.

Students will be notified in February 2022 if they have been designated finalists, and scholarship will be awarded next spring over the course of four months. There are three types of scholarships – National Merit, corporate-sponsored and college-sponsored.