Mt. Pleasant’s Bryce Wilson named National Merit Finalist

Mount Pleasant High School is pleased to announce that senior Bryce Wilson has been named a National Merit Finalist by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

Bryce, son to Michael and Kate Wilson, is now eligible for continued competition in the National Merit Scholarship Program. The National Merit Competition begins with students taking the Preliminary SAT (PSAT).

Semifinalists across the nation are then named based on the highest-scoring entrants in each state. A student becomes a finalist based on 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 or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit Scholarships ($2500) that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 950 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 180 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 160 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 340 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.

Mt. Pleasant Community High School would like to honor Bryce Wilson for this outstanding accomplishment. His commitment and dedication to academics have helped him achieve this goal. Bryce’s future plans are to attend Iowa State University or Oklahoma State University and major in Chemical Engineering.