Lemont High School Senior Named National Merit Finalist

Lemont High School senior Alexandra Albrecht has been named as a 2014 National Merit Scholarship Finalist by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which makes her eligible for one of approximately 8,000 Merit Scholarships that will be awarded nationally this spring. Albrecht is the school’s sixth National Merit Finalist in as many years.

Last fall, Albrecht was cited as a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist, thanks to her performance on either the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Fellow seniors Jarrod Hanson, Lucas Heatherington, Zachary Krepps and Anna Zechel all were cited with National Merit Commended Students distinction at that time.

Given to high school juniors, more than 1.5 million students took the PSAT/NMSQT in October 2012. Approximately 16,000 students are named as National Merit Scholar Semifinalists, and roughly 34,000 students are designated as Commended Students. Of those named as Semifinalists, around 15,000 attain Finalist standing, with more than half of those earning a National Merit Scholarship and receiving Merit Scholar accolades.

The scores compiled by Lemont High School’s five honorees this year ranked them among the top five percent of all U.S. students from the Class of 2014 who took the PSAT/NMSQT or the SAT last year.After learning of her National Merit Semifinalist status in the fall, both Albrecht and Lemont High School’s guidance staff submitted a detailed scholarship application in which they provided information about her academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, and honors and awards received.

Albrecht is Lemont’s sixth National Merit Finalist in the last six years. Those graduates include Jessica DeArcangelis ‘09 and Michael Fischer ‘09 in 2009; Therese Castrogiovanni ‘11 and Rita Kuseliauskas ‘11 in 2011; and Kim Gannon ‘13 last year.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955. Its scholarships are underwritten by its own funds and approximately 500 business organizations and higher education institutions that share its goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.