Two local students semifinalists in national scholarship competition

Published 12:18 pm Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Vashon High School seniors Elliot Carleton and Alden Rogers  are two of 16,000 semifinalists throughout the nation competing in the 61st annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

The two have the opportuity to continue in the competition, which will award 7,400 scholarships next spring, worth a total of more than $32 million.

About 1.5 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2014 SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The exam served as an initial screen of program entrants.

The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less than one percent of all U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.