Six students attending Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School have been honored by the College Board for their scores in the 2012 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

RFH senior Leela Srinivasan has been named a Semifinalist in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. The nationwide pool of 16,000 Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

Seniors William Kyle Burnett, Jacqueline Gottuso, Ralph DelNegro, Reghan Pattwell, and Connor Swikart have been named Commended Students in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Approximately 34,000 students have achieved Commended Students status by earning scores that place them in the top five percent of high school seniors.

About 1.5 million high school juniors from more than 22,000 schools nationwide entered the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2012 PSAT/NMSQT, which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

As a Semifinalist, Srinivasan has earned the opportunity to submit a detailed scholarship application and be considered for Finalist status. Semifinalists who earn Finalist status will be notified of this honor in February 2014. They will then be eligible to compete for one of 2,500 National Merit Scholarships with a value of $2,500.00 each that will be awarded on a state representational basis. 2014 National Merit Scholarship Winners will be announced from April through July of 2014 by the College Board.

“These students represent a valuable natural resource,” a spokesperson for the NMSC said. “Recognizing their accomplishments, as well as the key role their schools play in their academic development, is vital to the advancement of educational excellence in our nation.”

All six of the students will receive a Letter of Commendation from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School and from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). These Letters of Commendation will be presented by RFH Principal Tracy Handerhan. In addition, the students will be honored at the November 2013 meeting of the Rumson-Fair Haven High School Board of Education.