A total of 12 academically talented students from the Naperville area were announced today as recipients of National Merit Scholarships funded by colleges and universities.
The students represent all five high schools in districts 203 and 204, as well as the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and a homeschooled student. The recipients will be granted between $500 and $2,500 a year for up to four years of undergraduate studies at the institution providing the funding.
Naperville 203 scholarship recipients
Naperville North students receiving the scholarships are Hrshikesh Guptha, who plans to study health care at the University of South Florida; and Sydney M. Queen, who plans to study law at the University of Tennessee.
Also receiving a scholarship from Naperville Central is Riya S. Dondapati, who plans to pursue medicine at Case Western Reserve University.
IPSD 204 scholarship recipients
Metea Valley recipients include Ritika Khurana, who intends to study business at Indiana University; and Srihan Pasupula, who plans to study medicine at Case Western Reserve University.
Students awarded scholarships from Neuqua Valley are Peter L. Carroll, who plans to study computer engineering at Tufts University; Siya Mahlotra, who plans to pursue mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University; Robert Yang, who plans to study medicine at Emory University; and Katherine Y. Yuan, who plans to study anesthesiology at Emory University.
Waubonsie Valley student Salil Patki is a scholarship winner as well, planning to study mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University.
Other Naperville-area students
Also named as college-sponsored National Merit Scholarship winners are Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy student Samira Koduri, who intends to study medicine at Case Western Reserve University; and homeschooled student Gavriel I. Saputera, who plans to study actuarial science at the University of Iowa.
Scholarship details
Scholarship recipients qualify based on preliminary SAT scores, SAT or ACT scores, and an application including an essay, a listing of extracurricular activities, awards and leadership positions, academic records, and a recommendation by a high school official. These 12 receiving college-funded scholarships are among 70 from Illinois and 2,500 from across the country announced today.
National Merit Scholarship Corporation — a nonprofit that conducts the National Merit Scholarship program — plans to announce more recipients in July, bringing the total receiving college-sponsored scholarships this year to roughly 3,500.
These students are among what the scholarship organization describes as a “distinguished group” of about 6,700 high school seniors, who are receiving nearly $24 million toward their studies.
The winners of corporate-sponsored awards and National Merit $2,500 scholarships were announced earlier this year.
Stay in the know – sign up for our daily news update!