Alice Zhang, National Merit Scholar Semifinalist.
It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
We are thrilled to announce that Gilbert High School senior Alice Zhang, 17, recently learned the exciting news that she is among the less than 1 percent of high school graduating seniors in the Class of 2024 nationally to make the cut as a national semifinalist for the prestigious scholarship.
Alice received the news in front of the entire senior class early last week during a meeting in the auditorium. High School instructional coach Jen Schnormeier made the announcement, and the entire class applauded Alice’s achievement.
“To have a National Merit Semifinalist is exciting,” Gilbert High School Principal Cindy Bassett said. “Gilbert High School has a lot of pride in Alice, and her peers are genuinely excited for her. She’s a hard worker, she cares greatly for academics, and she loves to learn.”
Alice earned her spot in the semifinals with her performance on the PSAT test — she scored a 1,500 — during her junior year. She will now submit an application and essay in the hopes of advancing to the finals. Students must also take and score well on the SAT or ACT to advance. Alice certainly has that part already covered; she scored a perfect 36 on the ACT.
The finalists will be announced in February.
Alice says she’s still weighing her options on her college choice, but says she wants to study mathematics.
“I think I would enjoy being a statistician, but there are some other areas I could pursue as well,” Alice said.
We would like everyone to join Gilbert Schools in congratulating Alice on this tremendous accomplishment, and we wish her luck as she attempts to become a National Merit Scholar Finalist. We’re all cheering you on, Alice!
