2 North Ridgeville seniors qualify for scholarship program

North Ridgeville High School seniors Emily Hiles and Kyra Stillwell qualified as national semifinalists for the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Students must take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test to be in the running, according to a news release from North Ridgeville City Schools.

On the National Merit Scholarship Corporation website, the following is an explanation of how a student becomes a national semifinalist.

Of the 1.6 million entrants, some 50,000 with the highest PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index scores (calculated by doubling the sum of the reading, writing and language, and math test scores) qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program, according to the website.

In September, these high scorers are notified through their schools that they have qualified as either a commended student or semifinalist, according to the website.

The corporation provides scholarship application materials to semifinalists through their high schools.

To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, semifinalists must advance to finalist standing in the competition by meeting high academic standards and all other requirements explained in the information provided to each semifinalist, the release said.

If Hiles and or Stillwell become finalists, they will be notified in February, the release said.

SUBMITTED Emily Hiles, left, and Kyra Stillwell