Bishop Fenwick Student Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

Eric Loehle of Georgetown, a senior at Bishop Fenwick High School, has been named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist.

Loehle is one of approximately 16,000 Semifinalists in the 59th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. This academically talented high school senior will now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,000 National Merit Scholarships worth about $35 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition.

About 90 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and more than half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title. NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Steps in the 2014 Competition

About 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. 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 become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and their high school 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 scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

From the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. 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.

These scholarship recipients will join more than 300,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

Loehle is also an Eagle Scout, a member of the National Honor Society, the Math Team, serves as pianist for the Liturgical Choir, is captain of the Cross Country team and a member of the Winter and Spring track teams.

Bishop Fenwick High School is a Catholic, college preparatory, co-educational high school, located on a 59-acre campus in Peabody, Massachusetts.  Founded in 1959, Bishop Fenwick High School serves the North Shore of Boston and the surrounding areas, drawing students from 46 cities and towns.