On Wednesday, Sept. 14, Evanston, IL based National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of more than 16,000 semifinalists competing nationally for nearly $28 million in scholarships that will be awarded next spring.
Colonie Central High School student Terence Coughlin is among them earning a Semifinalist title in the 2023 National Merit® Scholarship Program.
To qualify as semifinalists, Coughlin has to earn a top score on the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Millions of students in tens of thousands of high schools take the exam each year. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
“To be recognized as a National Merit Semifinalist is a huge honor for students because it represents years of hard work and dedication to learning,” said Thomas Kachadurian, Executive Principal of Colonie Central High School. “Congratulations to Terence on this honor. We are proud of his accomplishment and commitment to his future.”
The next step for Coughlin, and CCHS faculty, is to submit a detailed scholarship application with information that includes Coughlin’s academic record, school and community activities, an essay, and SAT or ACT scores that back up his high scores in the preliminary exam.
2023 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced nationwide beginning in April. More information about this accomplishment can be found here: