DSHS students named National Merit semifinalists

A record eight Dripping Springs High School seniors have been named National Merit semifinalists in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Semifinalists, who represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, were the highestscoring students on the 2021 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

DSHS students earning the prestigious recognition are Teresa Brod, Evelyn Chis, Michael Goertz, Bailey Inglish, Maxwell Ingram, Shaun Kurian, Nicholas Misko and Kinsey Silcox. The eight semifinalists surpassed the previous DSHS record of five set in 2016.

From over 16,000 semifinalists, more than 15,000 students are expected to advance to the finalist level, which is announced in February 2023.

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about 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 or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.