Madeline DiFilippo Named National Merit Finalist

Avon High School senior Madeline DiFilippo has been named a National Merit finalist in the 58th Annual National Merit Program.

Less than 1 percent of high school graduating seniors in the United States are named National Merit finalists.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) – a test that serves as an initial screen of more than 1.5 million entrants each year.

DiFilippo was named a National Merit Semi-Finalist in September 2012. Last month she was named a U. S. Presidential Scholar candidate. 

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and their high school must submit a detailed scholarship application in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, 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, approximately 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level. In the National Merit® Scholarship Program, three types of Merit Scholarship® awards are offered to finalists: National Merit $2500 Scholarships, corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards and college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards.

Five more Avon High School students earned “Commended Student” status: Aubrey Greene, Devin Hagedorn,   Sneha Limaye, Nicholas Pettegrew,  Matt Bender earned that distinction.