GMC News
Tyler Gray named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist
(Tyler Gray has bee named a Semifinalist for the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program.)
GMC Prep senior, Tyler Gray, has been named a Semifinalist for the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program. Gray is one of 16,000 talented high school seniors in competition for 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered next spring. He’s also the only National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist in Baldwin County. Gray says being a National Merit Scholar is a goal he’s been working towards for a while.
“I thought about the National Merit Scholarship and all of the opportunities it offers as soon as I got my PSAT scores back,” said Tyler Gray, National Merit Scholarship semifinalist. “I was really excited when I heard the news because I wasn’t sure if I would get it. So it was really exciting to get the notification that I’m in the running for the scholarship.”
About 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which serves as an initial screening of program entrants. To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and his or her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application with their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstration of their leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. They must also be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. Gray says he is very disciplined when it comes to his academics.
“Ever since I was little I always made sure to study as much as I could and focus in class and not get distracted,” said Gray. “Because the main thing for me is to always focus in class because as long as I do that then I’ll be able to understand the material and keep going.”
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2018. These scholarship recipients will join more than 330,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
