2 Lower Bucks Co. Students Get Prestigious National Honor. Find Out What.

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Two students from Lower Bucks County schools have been named as college-sponsored National Merit Scholars, placing them amongst the few elite in the nation who have won the competitive award.

Alyssa Loudon of Neshaminy High School and Gregory J. Galonsky of Pennsbury High School received scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 annually for four years of undergraduate study.

Loudon of Levittown will pursue a degree in chemical engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem.

Galonsky of Yardley will pursue a computer science degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

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.