Two Crossroads College Prep Seniors Are Finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Competition
Updated at February 21, 2012 14:06
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation has announced that
Class of 2012 members Alisa Berg and Nell Briggs have advanced to finalist standing.
Finalists are selected through several rounds of the competition. Of the 1.5 million
juniors who take the Preliminary SAT, approximately 50,000 students with the highest
Selection Index qualify for recognition. In early September, about 16,000 students, or
approximately one-third of the 50,000 high scorers, are notified that they have qualified as
Semifinalists. In February, some 15,000 Finalists are notified that they have advanced to
finalist standing . The National Merit Scholarship Program awards 8,400 scholarships worth
more than $36 million.
“Being a National Merit Finalist is an honor that both students and their families can be
extremely proud of,” says Clark Daggett, head of school at Crossroads College Prep. “Beyond
the individual level, the accomplishments of Alisa and Nell are also representative of the
strength and depth of the Crossroads College Prep curriculum.”
Nell Briggs is an All-Conference athlete in volleyball, basketball, and soccer. A straight-A
student, she delights in learning for learning’s sake and once memorized pi to 400 digits. Alisa
Berg is a tri-lingual (English, French, and Lithuanian) artist who is an accomplished equestrian
competitor in dressage. Also a straight-A student, Alisa uses her artistic talents to raise
awareness for human and animal rights and is co-founder of the school’s Social Justice Club.