POTTSTOWN, PA — Three Owen J. Roberts (OJR) High School seniors were named by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. All semifinalists are eligible to compete for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarship awards worth nearly $26 million, to be awarded in spring 2025. The program honors students who meet exceptional academic ability standards and other requirements, including a recommendation from a high school official.
About 95 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title. OJR’s three National Merit Scholarship semifinalists are:
- Alexander Arp – A member of the Junior Classical League and the Dungeons and Dragons club, Alexander plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering – hopefully at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or the California Institute of Technology. Additional details about Alexander’s journey can be viewed online at https://youtu.be/_kPDfHEe78c.
- Andrew Dybicz – Treasuring the many connections he’s made with friends and teachers while at OJR, and the numerous activities available to him, Andrew hopes to attend college in the northeast and earn a degree in mechanical engineering. Additional details about Andrew’s journey can be viewed online at https://youtu.be/mS9QPg3bGgw.
- Jane Hummel – A student-athlete who is a member of the swim team, Jane is thankful for the strong connections she’s formed with her teachers and the bonds she’s formed with her friends. Jane is interested in pursuing a career in biomedical research and plans to attend a top research university. Additional details about Jane’s journey can be viewed online at https://youtu.be/5ZgYvb6GXLw.
“Alexander, Andrew and Jane are outstanding students and members of our school community, and we are very proud to have them recognized as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists,” said Owen J. Roberts High School Principal Steven Kollar. “This outstanding achievement not only reflects their standing as top performers in our school district, but also places them among the most distinguished performers in the nation. Each student has excelled in their time at OJR, and our entire Wildcat Community is united in congratulating them for this accomplishment and wishing them the best as they advance in the scholarship process.”
More than 1.3 million juniors in approximately 21,000 high schools entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
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. From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.
For more information about the program’s significance for Owen J. Roberts School District students, and how the district works to support academic excellence, please visit OJR’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@OJR_SchoolDistrict.
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2025. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 770 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 130 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 150 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,600 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
National Merit Scholarship winners for 2025 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join nearly 382,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
Learn more about the Owen J. Roberts School District at www.ojrsd.com.
Learn more about the National Merit Scholarship Program at www.nationalmerit.org.
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