It is no secret that Stamford High is full of smart people, but a few in particular stand out when it comes to the National Merit Scholarship Program. This incredible opportunity has about 7,600 scholarships up for grabs worth over $30 million altogether. Only those with the highest PSAT Selection Index scores in the country are allowed to compete for them, and some Stamford seniors are among the top 16,000 students who earned the title of Semifinalist. Three of these students are from Stamford High School, and two others are from Westhill High School. 

One of the Semifinalists from Stamford High, Edward Yudolevich, speaks on his feelings, saying he is “Relatively confident. Only a small amount gets eliminated during the Semifinals round, with over 90 percent going on to the Finals (the Semifinals round is mostly just to get rid of the people that are unresponsive, uncommitted, or otherwise don’t belong with the rest of the group). The Finals are the scary part, where more than half of the remaining 15,000 across the country are eliminated.” 

Yudolevich is one of the best students in the country. Being in the top percentile for his SAT with a score of 1550, he’s a strong contender for the scholarship. He says he planned to take two more tests, but COVID-19 interrupted that. 

The process for Semifinalists is quite similar to a college application. The program takes a look at grades, scores, résumés, and an essay the applicants write. Once in the finals, applicants will have to complete more steps which will be revealed once the program is at that stage. 

When asked if these types of things have always been on his radar, Yudolevich replied, “Yes. Being a candidate for these kinds of scholarships and awards has always been a goal of mine. I saw this one in particular as a major opportunity, and I am very humbled to have been chosen as a Semifinalist.” 

Yudolevich’s dream school is the University of Pennsylvania. “I want to go into finance, and the Wharton School of Business is legendary.”