Twenty-one New Trier students named as National Merit Semifinalists

Twenty-one New Trier High School students have been named as Semifinalists in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship competition.

High school juniors across the country entered the 2022 program by taking the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), and only approximately 16,000 earned the Semifinalist designation. This nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than 1 percent of all U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest scoring entrants of the state, who will have the opportunity to continue in the competition for 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million.

To become a Finalist, a Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and write an essay. The Semifinalist's participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received must also be submitted.

Approximately 15,000 Semifinalists are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and Merit Scholar designees will be selected based on their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

New Trier's 2022 National Merit Semifinalists are:

Madeleine N. Arend, Timofei D. Asinski, Sarah A. Bewley, Yinghui Bimai, Aruni Chenxi, Nika Chuzhoy, TJ Dale, Stefan M. Gjaja, Isabel C. Hernandez, Patrick A. Jamieson, Connor F. Lane, Taeyoung Lee, Bennett A. Lindberg, Abigail E. Miller, William B. Nelson, Luke C. Schuette, Beccan W. Simon, James V. Slone, Aidia M. Steen, Brendan T. Warshauer, and Ryan N. Wu.

More information on the National Merit Scholarship Program is available through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, www.nationalmerit.org.