Evanston Student Wins National Merit Scholarship To Colorado College

EVANSTON, IL — A recent Evanston Township High School graduate is among the more than 3,000 winners of college-sponsored National Merit scholarships announced Wednesday.

Jane O. Watson, of Evanston, was awarded a National Merit scholarship sponsored by Colorado College, a private liberal arts college with about 1,800 students in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Watson plans to pursue a career in the field of ecology, according to National Merit.

More than 150 colleges and universities are providing annual awards of between $500 and $2,000 a year for four years of undergraduate study.

Last fall, 10 seniors at Evanston high schools were named semifinalists based on the results of a Preliminary SAT test taken during their junior years, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the Evanston-based nonprofit that has administered the program since 1955.

In order to become eligible for scholarships, semifinalists are required to submit a detailed application, including an essay and recommendation from a high school official.

The final group of National Merit scholarships — about 800 more recipients — are due to be announced on July 10.

By then, about 7,140 recent high school graduates will have been awarded about $28 million in scholarships.

With nearly 90 percent of scholarship winners already announced, Watson is the only member of the class of 2023 at any Evanston high school to be awarded a National Merit scholarships so far this year.

Earlier: 10 Evanston Students Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists