Meghan Gardner (left) and Rowan Espy (right)
Girls Preparatory School announces that Rowan Espy ’23 and Meghan Gardner ’23 have been selected as National Merit Scholarship winners. With this prestigious honor, they will each receive a National Merit $2,500 scholarship.
Students from GPS and McCallie received four of the five Chattanooga-area National Merit Scholarships announced in the recent release by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. An additional group of scholars will be announced in July.
While the pair were named Finalists alongside Anisha Phade ’23 earlier this year, the scholarship competition process began during the 2021-22 school year, when members of the junior class took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Students who receive a Selection Index score of 207 or above are considered high performers.
Of those recognized for their impressive performances, 34,000 were named Commended Students, while the remaining 16,000 were named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists; the nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and his or her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the student’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.
By the conclusion of the 2023 program, more than 7,140 Finalists will have earned the Merit Scholar title and received a total of nearly $28 million in college scholarships.