U of A Honors Arkansas National Merit Semifinalists

The U of A celebrated some of the state's highest-achieving high school students at two special dinners last week, as Chancellor Charles Robinson, Provost Indrajeet Chaubey and Logan Williams, president of Associated Student Government, joined faculty, staff, students and alumni in recognizing Arkansas' National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. 

The dinners, held at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock and the Stonebreaker Hotel in Fayetteville, honored students and their families while offering a chance to discuss the opportunities available at the U of A. 

"Being named a National Merit semifinalist is an exceptional achievement, and these students have made their families, schools, communities and state proud," Robinson said. "We want them to know they can build on that success right here in Arkansas, with an Honors College and Nationally Competitive Awards program that are among the very best in the country." 

National Merit semifinalists are selected based on their performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Each year, less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors earn semifinalist status. Arkansas had 158 semifinalists this year, and they now have the opportunity to advance to the finalist level and compete for National Merit Scholarships. 

"Students like these have an impact that extends far beyond their individual success," Chaubey said. "They enrich the classroom experience of their classmates and professors, strengthen academic excellence across campus and bolster the university's reputation by earning nationally competitive awards and excelling after graduation. We want them to know that when they come to the University of Arkansas, we are committed to providing the opportunities and support they need to make the most of their extraordinary potential." 

National Merit semifinalists from Arkansas who earn a 3.75 GPA in high school automatically qualify for the Chancellor's Scholarship, which provides $10,000 annually. Those who advance to finalist status and choose the university as their top school qualify for the Chancellor's Merit Scholarship, which provides $12,000 annually. National Merit finalists also qualify for the Governor's Distinguished Scholarship, an Arkansas Department of Higher Education initiative which provides up to $40,000 over four years. There are currently 201 National Merit finalists enrolled at the U of A. 

The dinners were hosted by Enrollment Services and featured several faculty and staff speakers. Current and former students from the Honors College also spoke about their experience at the U of A, including ASG President Logan Williams, Truman Scholarship finalists Jessica Doss and Muskan Taori and Carson Haller, an Honors College alum who is currently studying medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.