This fall, Don Buchholz ’12 and Emily DeSantis ’12 will attend college with merit-based scholarships.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation recently named more than 2,000 winners of college-sponsored scholarships. Fifteen thousand National Merit Finalists were chosen in February 2012 based on their outstanding scores on the Preliminary SAT, which they took in October 2010, during their sophomore year. From this pool of finalists, college officials selected scholarship winners who will attend their institutions. Other ESD Class of 2012 National Merit Scholarship Finalists include Charlie Albright, Catherine Cannata, Kelsey Montgomery, Devi Nair, and Hannah Smith.

Don and Emily will receive awards ranging from $500 to $2,000 per year for up to four years of undergraduate study.

“I was most surprised when I found out my score because after sophomore year, I didn't really think I had much of a chance,” Emily said. “After that, I felt more hopeful than anything else that I would actually become a finalist, and then lucky that one of the schools I had been considering gives scholarships to National Merit finalists.”

Emily will attend the University of Oklahoma for undergraduate study, and Don will attend Vanderbilt University.

“I was really excited when I first got my scores back because I knew this scholarship could not only be a big help financially, but also open the door to some really good colleges,” Don said.