Of 1.5 million entrants, Michael Dennis is among the top 1 percent to achieve this designation.
By Gary Weckselblatt
Quakertown Community High School senior Michael Dennis has been recognized as a Finalist by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation in its prestigious program for 2021.
Of 1.5 million students who entered the National Merit Scholarship Program, he is one of 15,000 to be named a Finalist. Michael’s 1480 score on the 2019 Preliminary SAT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants, is achieved by fewer than 1 percent of today’s U.S. high school seniors.
All Finalists will be considered for National Merit Scholarship awards to be offered in 2021.
"Michael has worked very hard for this rare and extraordinary achievement,” Principal Mattias van’t Hoenderdaal said. “He is someone who challenges himself with rigorous coursework while staying involved in the school community. Michael’s recognition is well-deserved, and he is a fine example for our students to follow.”
Michael was named a Semifinalist in September. Later that month, fellow seniors Matt Catalano and Veronika Durr each received a Letter of Commendation.
A year ago, Melissa Nong was a Finalist. Three other students, Ian Cummings, Tyler Einolf and Sierra Lee, each received a Letter of Commendation. In 2019, Mikayla Fuentes and Adria Retter were Finalists and Nam Le and Hailey Reiss were Commendable.
Gary Weckselblatt, QCSD Director of Communications, writes about the people and the programs that impact the Quakertown Community School District. He can be reached at 215-529-2028 or [email protected].