Senior Named National Merit Scholar Semifinalist

Christina Henricks, a Ranney senior, has been named a semifinalist in the 2009 National Merit Scholarship Program, ranking her among a prestigious and small group of students across the nation who scored high on the 2007 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Christina is now eligible to compete this spring for more than $35 million in National Merit Scholarships.

Two other Ranney seniors, Katherine Adams and Hannah Goldstein, were named “Commended Students” in the program. Commended students placed among the top five percent of students who took the test but do not continue in the competition for Merit Scholarships.

In making the announcement, Dr. Lawrence S. Sykoff, Head of Ranney School, pointed out that the Semifinalists make up less than one-percent of all U.S. High School seniors. “To be named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist is a rare and distinguished honor. It is an accomplishment that speaks to the exceptional qualities of this very talented Class of 2009 and to the dedicated faculty who have prepared them for such success at Ranney.”

To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, a semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by the principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. Only the Finalists with the strongest combinations of abilities, accomplishments and personal attributes are given scholarships.

“We are extremely pleased, but not surprised that Christina has been selected a Semifinalist,” commented John Lewis, Head of the Upper School and Christina’s faculty advisor. “She is extraordinarily knowledgeable and articulate on a wide range of topics, and is deeply committed to her own intellectual development.”

Henricks has accumulated a long list of honors and achievements throughout her high school career. She is an AP scholar with Distinction, having scored a grade of 3.5 or higher on all her AP exams, and this summer she was among a small group of students from New Jersey selected to participate in the New Jersey Governor’s School for International Studies. She serves as Captain of the Ranney School Academic Team and the Mock Trial Team, is a member of the Harvard Model Congress, New Jersey Math League, and the American Chemical Society County Olympiad Team. In addition, Christina is an accomplished flautist, and is a member of the Ranney Flute Ensemble, the Band and the Chorus.

For additional information on all Ranney School news, please contact the Communications Department at communications@ranneyschool.org.