MORGANZA, Md. (February 12, 2007) - Chopticon High School announced today that student Caitlin M. Brooks has been named a Finalist in the 2007 Competition for Merit Scholarship® awards.
According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) which sponsors the awards, 8,200 of the 15,000 national Finalists will be chosen for scholarship awards. All winners are chosen from the Finalist group based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference. A variety of information is available for NMSC selectors to evaluate, including the Finalist's academic record, information about the school's curricula and grading system, two sets of test scores, school official's written recommendation, information about the student's activities and leadership, and the Finalist's own essay. Beginning in March and continuing to mid-June, NMSC will notify awardees at their home addresses that they have been selected to receive a Merit Scholarship award.
Established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Program, NMSC is a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance. Scholarships awarded through the program are underwritten by NMSC's own funds and approximately 500 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC's goals of honoring the nation's scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.