Edgewood Student Named National Achievement Scholarship Semifinalist

Shady Side Academy’s Alexis Allen of Avalon and Jenna Hebert of Edgewood are among more than 1,600 outstanding African-American high school seniors who were named semifinalists in the 48th annual National Achievement® Scholarship Program.

These students will continue in the competition for 800 Achievement Scholarships® worth more than $2.4 million to be offered next spring.

The National Achievement Scholarship Program, conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, is a privately financed academic competition that operates without government assistance. It was initiated in 1964 to recognize academically promising black students throughout the nation and to provide scholarships to a substantial number of the most outstanding program participants. To date, more than 31,100 young men and women have received Achievement Scholarship awards worth more than $98 million.

Allen and Hebert were among more than 160,000 high school juniors who requested consideration in the 2012 National Achievement Scholarship Program when they took the 2010 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Semifinalists are designated within geographic regions and are the highest-scoring program entrants in the states that make up each region.

To advance to the finalist level, semifinalists must present a record of high academic performance throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the school head/principal, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm their PSAT/NMSQT performance. In addition, the semifinalist and a school official must complete a detailed scholarship application providing information about participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities and educational goals.

About 1,300 semifinalists (80 percent) are expected to advance to the finalist level of the competition in January 2012, and more than half of the finalists will win a scholarship award. Finalists compete for one of 700 one-time National Achievement $2,500 Scholarships, which are awarded on a regional representation basis. In addition, corporate and business sponsors underwrite about 100 Achievement Scholarship awards for finalists who meet criteria set by the grantor. Although some corporate-sponsored awards provide a single payment, most are renewable for up to four years of undergraduate study. Scholarship winners will be announced in April 2012.

Shady Side Academy is a private school in Pittsburgh for boys and girls in grades pre-kindergarten through 12, with an optional five-day boarding experience in high school. For more information, visit www.shadysideacademy.org.