Three students from Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield have been named National Merit Scholar finalists, according to Sister Margaret Joanne Grueter, OP, principal. The finalists are: Allison Midden, William Singh  and Matthew Wolfson.   

To become a finalist, a semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student's earlier qualifying test performance. The semifinalist and a school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, which includes the student's self-descriptive essay and information about the student's participation and leadership in school and community activities.

Approximately 15,000 semifinalists advance to the finalist level and it is from this group that all Merit Scholarship winners are chosen. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.

Each finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 scholarships that will be awarded on a state representational basis.  In addition, approximately 200 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

Merit Scholarship winners of 2008 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join some 250,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

For more information, call the SHG school office at (217) 787-1595.