Four Fairport High School seniors are being recognized for their academic achievements. Julia Allen, Benjamin Caplan, Madison Jezioro and Jacob Simon have been named 2019 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.

According to nationalmerit.org, “High school students enter the National Merit Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)—which serves as an initial screen of approximately 1.6 million entrants each year—and by meeting published program entry and participation requirements.”

Approximately one-third of the high scorers move on as semifinalists, estimated at about 16,000 students. The semifinalists represent the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

To become a finalist, a semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official and earn an SAT score that confirms the student’s performance on the qualifying test.

Finalists are named in February with scholarship awardees notified in the spring.

Photo: Fairport High School National Merit Scholarship semifinalists Madison Jezioro, Benjamin Caplan, Jacob Simon, Julia Allen