The names of approximately 16,000 scholastically talented high school seniors were announced today as semifinalists in the 45th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These semifinalists now have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 Merit Scholarship awards, worth over $28 million, that will be offered in the spring.

Nearly 1.2 million students in over 20,000 US high Schools entered the year 2000 merit program as juniors by taking the 1998 preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship qualifying test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Fewer than 1 percent of the nation's high school seniors were designated semifinalists on a state representational basis. The number of semifinalists named in each state is proportional to the state's percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

The next step for semifinalists is to fulfill requirements to advance to finalist standing, a prerequisite to consideration for a Merit Scholarship Award. To become finalists, semifinalists must have an outstanding high school academic record, be endorsed and recommended by their school principal, and submit SAT scores that confirm their earlier qualifying test performance. Also the semifinalist must show participation and leadership in school and community activities. About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to become finalists nationwide.