Mystic Senior Selected As National Merit Winner

GROTON, CT — The National Merit Scholarship Corporation released the names of the first group of winners in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. A Robert E. Fitch High School senior is among the winners.

Aiden H. Choi, of Mystic, is the winner of the National Merit Pfizer, Inc. scholarship. Aiden's probable career field is applied mathematics.

About 770 high school seniors have won the awards, which are financed by 94 corporations, company foundations, and other businesses.

Most of these awards are renewable for up to four years of college undergraduate study and provide annual stipends that range from $1,000 to $10,000. Some provide a single payment between $2,500 and $5,000. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.

High school juniors entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program when they took the 2022 PSATS. Semifinalists were the highest-scoring program entrants in each state and represented less than one percent of the nation’s seniors.

Each semifinalist was asked to complete a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists also had to have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirmed their qualifying test performance.

By the conclusion of the 2024 competition, more than 6,870 finalists will have been selected to receive National Merit Scholarships totaling nearly $26 million.