Arlington Student Wins 2021 National Merit Scholarship

ARLINGTON, MA — A recent high school graduate from Arlington was among this year's college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship winners, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

Ethan David Staff, who attended Lexington Christian Academy, was chosen out of approximately 16,000 finalists in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program. Staff will receive a scholarship sponsored by Northeastern University and plans to pursue computer programming.

The college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship winners receive between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship. This year, 160 higher education institutions, including 85 private and 75 public institutions located in 42 states and the District of Columbia, are sponsoring National Merit Scholarships.

Merit Scholars are chosen by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors based on their academic records, standardized test scores, contributions and leadership in school and their communities, an essay, and a recommendation written by a high school official.

The final group of winners announced this week brings the total number of 2021 National Merit Scholars to over 7,500. These high school seniors will receive nearly $30 million in scholarships for undergraduate study.