Cibola High School senior Hailey Chulamorkodt was named a semifinalist in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) competition. She is one of more than 16,000 semifinalists in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
"I am very honored to be named a National Merit Semifinalist!” Hailey Chulamorkodt said. “I'm so grateful for the chance to open up new opportunities in my higher education. I want to thank everyone who's helped me reach my academic dreams - my parents, my friends, my teachers, and my counselor, Mr. Swearingin."
High school juniors entered the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
“Hailey is one of the most studious and academically brave students I have ever worked with,” CHS Counselor Kevin Swearingin said. She is always thinking about her academic goals and striving to be successful in whatever she thinks is beneficial to know. I have no doubt that she will be successful at the next level of her academic journey. It doesn't surprise me that she was selected as a semi-finalist for the National Merit Scholarship Program!”
According to the NMSC, to become a Finalist, the Semifinalist must submit a detailed scholarship application, have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. Approximately 7,250 Finalists will be selected to receive a Merit Scholarship® award.
About National Merit Scholarship Corporation
NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 410 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.
