Celebrating Senior Success

A dozen Dana Hall seniors were recognized for their academic achievement by two national organizations — the National Merit Scholarship Competition and the College Board — for which they received various honors and recognitions:

A. Chen ’25: National Merit Semifinalist
A. Lal ’25: National Merit Semifinalist

C. Chenard ’25: Commended Student
N. Drago ’25: National Hispanic Recognition Awardee
R. Fadugbagbe ’25: National African American Recognition Awardee
M. Fidalgo ’25: National First-Generation Recognition Awardee
D. Hong ’25: Commended Student
E. Lu ’25: Commended Student
B. Miao ’25: Commended Student
E. Ni ’25: Commended Student
C. Wang ’25: Commended Student
Y. Wang ’25: Commended Student

As National Merit Semifinalists, Chen and Lal have an opportunity to continue in the competition for 6,870 National Merit Scholarships to be offered next spring. High school juniors entered the competition by taking the Fall 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which serves as an initial screen of program entrants. The semifinalists represent less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. Commended Students represent the top 50,000 students who took the Fall 2023 PSAT/NMSQT.

The College Board’s National Recognition Program honors students who score in the top 10% of test takers in their state on the Fall 2023 PSAT/NMSQT or Spring PSAT 10 exam; earn a 3+ on two or more distinct AP exams in 9th and/or 10th grade; earn a cumulative GPA of B+ or higher by the time of submission; and identify as first-generation, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Indigenous or Native and/or attend school in a rural area or small town.

“We are incredibly proud of our seniors, whose hard work earned them this honor,” said Amy Kumpel, director of the Upper School. “This achievement reflects both their personal commitment to their academics and the strength of our vigorous program at Dana Hall.”