On Sept. 24, Principal John Williams addressed the 48 CHS National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists and one National Achievement Scholarship Semifinalist and their parents at a formal reception. The reception was held in the Studio Theatre at 10 a.m., and was attended by the majority of CHS administration.

“We get to dress up and take a group photo with Mr. Williams. The administration, counselors, and department chairs are also in attendance. We were also told that we will be recognized at a school board meeting, but I don’t know the details yet,” Morgan Hiller, National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) Semifinalist and senior, said via e-mail.

At the reception, Williams addressed students in praise of their incredibly high PSAT scores and the effort they had put forth into achieving those scores. Williams also took time to address the parents, commending them on their “commitment to what your children have accomplished.” Students were then individually greeted by a round of applause after Williams called upon them to introduce themselves and their parents to fellow Semifinalists.

“Their academic accomplishment exceeds and spurs their leadership and their service not just to their school but also to their community. This is a significant start to what is a very, very, very prestigious award that measures not just their academic ability, but also how they used it to serve and to lead,” Williams said in addressing the Semifinalists.

Following the lengthy tribute to Senior Class Semifinalists, students were invited to take a group photo with Williams.

While Hiller acknowledges that the reception’s primary purpose is to give recognition to these assiduous students, she said it also provides essential information to parents and students about the remainder of the application process.

“Semifinalists fill out an application, similar to a college application. We also write an essay, send our SAT scores, and get recommendations from our counselors. All of these things, plus GPA and class rigor, are used to determine the finalists,” Hiller said.

According to Linda Christy, CHS College Coordinator, the NMSC Semifinalists must complete the applications by early October, and will need to continue to show academic achievement as well as strong standardized test scores on the SAT.

“As the College Coordinator, my role with this year’s National Merit Semifinalists is to guide them in helping them fill out the extensive application, as well as assist them in writing the college essay. I also am helping them identify colleges that recognize National Merit students with a generous scholarship package,” Christy said.

These 48 CHS Semifinalists are now in competition for nearly $36 million in scholarships offered in the spring.

Of the nearly 1.5 million entrants, only 50,000 students with the highest PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index scores qualify for recognition by the NMSC. In late September, approximately 34,000 high-scoring students received Letters of Commendation from the NMSC, thus signifying their discontinuation in the National Merit Scholarship competition.

The remaining 16,000 students received letters in early September to signify their prestigious status as a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist. In February, approximately 15,000 of the original 16,000 will be notified by mail that they have advanced to Finalist standing. According to Jonas Wang, Semifinalist and senior, the NMSC Finalist selection project really doesn’t cut many people in this stage of the competition.

“They just check to make sure that your other test grades reflect similar achievement to your PSAT score. This is why they have more than a 90 percent Finalist acceptance rate,” Wang said.

The winners will be announced in April 2013.