Two Bryn Mawr Seniors Named National Merit Scholars

Amna Hashmi and Julianna Drew, both graduating seniors, have been named 2012 National Merit Scholars. They are two of only 2500 students across the country chosen for this honor. Both will receive a $2,500 scholarship to use for their college education.

In total, more than 22 percent of Bryn Mawr’s senior class has been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as National Merit Commended Scholars, National Merit Semifinalists, or National Merit Scholars, reflecting their high achievement on the PSAT/NMSQT tests. Commended Scholars were Amelia Barnes, Rachel Brown, Nancy Dunbar, Nicole Gabarino, Annie Kolle, Cecily McIntyre, Gabriella Miller, Tess Moran, Bridget Morton, Victoria Norman and Yvette Schein; Julianna Drew, Amna Hashmi, Gina Hong, Ruby Nitzberg, Elizabeth Norman and Emily Rutherford were named both semifinalists and finalists, with Drew and Hashmi winning scholarships.

“We are very pleased to be part of a small but powerful group of independent schools across the country with notable results in the National Merit competition,” said Headmistress Maureen E. Walsh. “Bryn Mawr students are part of the most sought-after cohort of high school seniors by selective colleges.”

Approximately 1,500,000 students complete the PSAT/NMSQT each year, entering the competition for National Merit Program recognition. Of those students, the 50,000 highest scoring students—only 3% of all test-takers—qualify for National Merit Program acknowledgment. Sixty-eight percent of those students are subsequently named Commended Scholars, while the 16,000 highest-scoring students go on to compete for scholarships as National Merit Semifinalists. Finalists were announced in February 2012.

To achieve Commended Scholar or Semifinalist status, students must meet or exceed a selection index. While the Commended Scholar selection index is the same nationwide, Semifinalist indices vary state to state, in order to allow NMSC to provide a representative sample of students. Maryland’s selection index is one of the highest in the country—providing an even greater testament to the exceptional abilities of Bryn Mawr’s Commended Scholars, Semifinalists/Finalists and Merit Scholars. The large number of students acknowledged is also remarkable, representing one of the highest percentages of both graduating seniors and girls in the state.