Miss Hailey Mangio was among the 15,000 finalists named in the 66th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically accomplished students are now eligible for continued competition in the program, which awards National Merit Scholarships worth more than $30 million each spring. With over 3.5 million students each fall taking the PSAT and only a little more than 3,000 qualifying for commended status, we are extremely proud of Hailey Mangio for her hard work and dedication to such excellence. Furthermore, we are thrilled that she was also recognized for her stellar performance and selected for the new Rural and Small town Recognition Program.
More than 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®). 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 a high school official 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, and write an essay.
All National Merit Scholarship winners are selected from this group of Finalists. National Merit Scholarship winners of 2021 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These recipients will join more than 353,000 other Merit Scholar title recipients. Fort Pierce Central High School congratulates Hailey and we look forward to watching her further success in life, as she is going to make a mark on our future.