Baylor School's National Merit Semifinalists are pictured, from left to right, Lucas Conwell, Tyler Blackmon, Manning Smith-Tate, Christian Carbone, Bridget Lawrence, Dabney Randall, Paige Elliott and Megan Huntsinger. Matthew Chen is not pictured. Click to enlarge.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of nine Baylor students who have been named semifinalists in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. Baylor officials noted that the school has had 52 National Merit Semifinalists since 2006, which is more than any school in the area.
This year’s group includes Tyler Blackmon (Rising Fawn), Christian Carbone (Brentwood, Tn.), Matthew Chen (Kingston, Jamaica), Lucas Conwell (Signal Mountain), Paige Elliott (Apison), Megan Huntsinger (Vestavia Hills, Ala.), Bridget Lawrence (Nashville), Dabney Randall (Jackson, Miss.), and Manning Smith-Tate (Chattanooga).
In addition, international boarding students Jon Won and Noah Lee scored high enough on the PSAT to qualify as semifinalists; however, international students are not eligible for the competition.
These students qualified when they were Baylor juniors by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, the initial screen of program entrants. They are among the 16,000 highest scorers nationwide of the 1.5 million students who took the test, which evaluates critical reading, math, and writing skills.
"Their outstanding accomplishment is a tribute to the students, their families, and the Baylor School faculty," said Baylor School Headmaster Scott Wilson. "I am extremely proud of their exemplary representation of Baylor's tradition of excellence in the classroom and beyond."
Jon Won, left, and Noah Lee scored high enough on the PSAT to qualify as semifinalists; however, international students are not eligible for the competition. Click to enlarge.