Polk County Public Schools
Horace Bailey, a Lakeland resident and a senior at the Bartow International Baccalaureate School, was named today as one 1,600 National Achievement Scholarship semifinalists for the 2008-2009 school year.
The National Achievement Program, conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, recognizes promising black students throughout the nation and will provide more than $2.6 million in scholarships in the spring of 2009.
More than 150,000 students entered the 2009 National Achievement Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). As one of 1,600 national semifinalists, Bailey is among the highest scoring entrants in the country on the qualifying test.
Click here to read the full text of the National Achievement Program announcement.
National Achievement Scholarship finalists are announced in January and scholarship winners will be announced in April. To advance in the competition, semifinalists must present a record of high academic performance throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by their high school principal and earn SAT scores that confirm PSAT/NMSQT performance. They also must complete a detailed scholarship application providing information about participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities and educational goals.