Laguna Beach High School students Charlotte T. Hoffs, Joseph Ravenna and Benjamin R. Sharp were selected for $2,500 National Merit scholarships, the organization announced this week.
Charlotte plans to pursue agricultural science; Joseph political science and Ben mechanical engineering. Scholars may use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
They are among a group of 2,500 Merit Scholar designees chosen from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Winners are the finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in college
studies. The number of winners from each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.
Winners are selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high
school counselors, who evaluate the difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written; and a recommendation.
Last month, 1,000 recipients of corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards were named, and in June and July, some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners will also be announced.
