Woodlands Academy senior advances in National Merit quest
Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is proud to announce that one of its 36 senior class members has qualified to continue her pursuit of a highly prestigious scholarship award. Elizabeth Coughlin, of Northbrook, is among the less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors achieving semifinalist status in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. This group of academically talented students has an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit® scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring, earning recipients the coveted title of Merit Scholar®.
Coughlin learned of her outstanding academic achievement during an assembly at the Lake Forest school Sept. 11. This news about the accomplishment of one of their own drew cheers and a standing ovation from the Woodlands Academy community.
The 2020 National Merit Scholarship competition began during the last school year with more than 1.5 million juniors taking a taking a preliminary exam. The resultant nationwide pool of approximately 16,000 semifinalists includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. Each semifinalist must 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 National Merit® qualifying test.
Advancing to the finalist level is based on such factors as the semifinalist's academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.
Evanston-based National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is a non-profit organization that operates without government assistance. It was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholar Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by approximately 400 business organizations and higher education institutions that share NMSC's goals of honoring the nation's scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.
Woodlands Academy is an independent Catholic day-and-boarding, college-preparatory school for young women of all faiths in grades nine through 12. Founded in Chicago in 1858 and located in Lake Forest since 1904, It's part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries on six continents.
Founded in 1858, Woodlands Academy is an independent Catholic college preparatory day and boarding high school for young women. It's part of a worldwide network of Sacred Heart Schools that spans the United States and 40 other countries. A nonprofit, Woodlands Academy's identity is rooted in Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat's desire to inspire young hearts and minds to excel, to lead lives of integrity and to serve. For more information about Woodlands Academy, please visit www.woodlandsacademy.org