CCSD has more than 40 National Merit Scholarship Finalists in 2020
March 11, 2020
Forty-one students from a total of four Charleston County School District (CCSD) schools are Finalists for the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, which is run by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). This year’s group of Finalists from CCSD is significantly larger than the 2019 list of Finalists (26) from the district.
Academic Magnet High School leads the county and the state with 29 Finalists, which is also a district and state record for one graduating class from one school.
Congratulations to the following 2020 Finalists from CCSD:
“Being named a National Merit Finalist is a tremendous honor, and we are extremely proud of each student who earned this distinction,” said Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait. “As a district, we celebrate a record number of Finalists. However, this is more than a one-year accomplishment. This is the culmination of these students’ academic achievements from kindergarten to high school, supported and encouraged by their families and many excellent educators.”
The CCSD 2020 National Merit Scholarship Finalists were contacted by NMSC last month; they will find out later this spring if they are one of the 7,600 National Merit Scholarship Winners.
The announcements for the specific types of scholarships (Corporate-Sponsored, National Merit $2,500, and College-Sponsored) will be made in April, May, June, and July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 345,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the title of Merit Scholar.
More than 1.5 million juniors from about 21,000 high schools entered the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2018 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.
To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application that includes the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
For more information, please contact the Office of Strategy and Communications at (843) 937-6303.
About the Charleston County School District
Charleston County School District (CCSD) is the second largest school system in South Carolina representing a unique blend of urban, suburban, and rural schools spanning 1,300 square miles along the coast. CCSD serves more than 50,000 students in 87 schools and specialized programs. With approximately 6,100 employees district-wide, CCSD is the fourth largest employer in the region.
CCSD offers a diverse, expanding portfolio of options and specialized programs, delivered through neighborhood, charter, magnet, IB (international baccalaureate), and Montessori schools, and is divided into three Learning Communities. Options include specialized programs in science, engineering and mathematics; liberal arts; music and other creative and performing arts; career and technical preparation programs; and military and other public service enterprises.
