Sixteen Haverford School seniors, including four semifinalists, recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program

Sixteen Haverford School seniors were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program, including four who were named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists.

The semifinalists include Michael Bartholdson, Devin Carpenter, Elliot Lee, and Ian Rosenzweig. The annual National Merit Scholarships will be announced in the spring, with more than $26 million awarded to students across the country. 

The Haverford School students are among 16,000 candidates to be placed on the semifinalist list, whittled down from more than 1.3 million nationwide applicants. The boys represent some of the highest Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) Selection Index scores in Pennsylvania. 

Twelve Haverford School boys were recognized as Commended Students for, according to the program, "exceptional academic promise demonstrated by their outstanding performance on the qualifying test." These students are Alexander Borghese, Gabriel Crowder, Alexander Dardarian, Kai Degenhardt, Luke Ganley, Finn Kelly, Phineas Manogue, Alexander Matuch, Conor McDonald, Connor Simpkins, Cameron Smith, and Simon Wang.

“We are thrilled to highlight the remarkable achievements of our Upper School students," said Mark Fifer, Head of Upper School. "These boys have made significant contributions to our School, and it is only fitting that the National Merit Scholarship Program acknowledges their intellectual vigor and enthusiasm.”

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, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

The 2024–25 school year marks the 70th anniversary for the National Merit Scholarship Program.