Zachary Hrenko
KENNETT SQUARE — Kennett High School announced that one student has been recognized as a National Merit Semifinalist in the 62nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
Senior Zachary Hrenko was among approximately 1.6 million juniors who entered the 2017 National Merit Program by taking the 2015 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) that served as an initial screen of program entrants.
“We are tremendously proud of Zachary for his accomplishment,” said Kennett High School Principal Dr. Jeremy Hritz. “He is an outstanding student, and one that we believe represents everything that is great about Kennett High School.”
The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less than one percent of high school seniors and includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. The number of semifinalists in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
These students are eligible to continue in the program competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarship awards worth more than $33 million to be offered in the spring. To advance to the finalist level and to be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several additional requirements. These include an outstanding academic record, endorsement by the principal, and SAT scores that confirm the preliminary results. The semifinalist and his or her counselor must submit a detailed scholarship application that includes the student’s essay and information about the student’s participation and leadership in school and community activities.
