Walt Whitman Student Named National Merit Scholarship Winner

A Walt Whitman High School student was awarded a National Merit Scholarship in this latest round of winners, according to an announcement by the parent organization.

Joseph N. Van Golstein received a $2,500 scholarship from the National Merit Scholar organization. His probable career field is International Business.

• Related: Four Jericho Students Named National Merit Scholarship Winners

On April 18, more than 1,000 recipients of corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards were named, and on June 6 and July 16, some 4,000 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship winners will be announced. By the conclusion of this year's competition, about 7,500 academic champions will have won National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million.

The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding Finalists in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program.

National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners are the finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state's percentage of the nation's graduating high school seniors.

These scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

This is the second announcement of winners in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program.

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