Three area students are among 16,000 named semifinalists in the 60th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
Semifinalists are Jeremy Paulbeck of Aitkin; and Connor Gunsbury and Jordan Kleist of Brainerd.
These high school seniors will continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million that will be offered next spring.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition.
About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and more than half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
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About 1.4 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools entered the 2015 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2013 Preliminary National Merit Scholarship qualifying test.
