Spring-Ford Student Wins National Merit Scholarship

ROYERSFORD, PA — A Spring-Ford Area High School senior has been named a college-sponsored National Merit Scholar, placing amongst the few elite in the nation who have won the competitive award.

Yash Chavan, of Collegeville, received the award sponsored by the University of Texas at Dallas and plans to study computer science.

Scholarships range from $500 to $2,000 annually for four years of undergraduate study.

A total of 3,600 college-sponsored winning scholars have been crowned, with most announced now and then the rest announced in July. These are distinct from the corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholars, who were announced earlier this spring.

Winners are chosen from a pool of 16,000 semifinalists, who themselves were selected from nearly 2 million students who scored well on the PSATs.

Winners are selected based on "accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies," the corporation says. Academically, this is chiefly judged by standardized test scores on PSAT, as well as grades in school classes. Outside of the classroom, judges look at an essay written by the finalist, a letter of recommendation by a high school official, and various contributions to the school and community.

A total of 146 higher education institutions participate in the program, including 72 public and 74 private schools.