Two VCS Students Named as National Merit Finalists - Vermont Commons School Skip to main content

Two VCS Students Named as National Merit Finalists

February 11, 2021

We are delighted to announce an incredible honor just bestowed upon two members of the Class of 2021.

Each year, just under 4 million 11th graders from high schools across the country take the PSAT.  During the fall of their Senior year, the students with the top scores on the PSAT nationally are awarded Semi-Finalist status by the National Merit Scholarship organization.  Semi-Finalists are invited to complete a detailed, competitive application, from which pool 15,000 students are recognized as National Merit Finalists.  Last week, the National Merit Scholarship organization mailed Certificates of Merit to schools across the country, notifying them of the students who have advanced to Finalist standing in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Vermont Commons School seniors, Benjamin Poulin of Shelburne, VT, and Sophie Dodds of Burlington, VT, have been recognized as National Merit Finalists. All finalists will be considered for National Merit Scholarships–significant tuition assistance grants for whichever college or university  they choose to attend–to be awarded in 2021.

“We’re delighted to see these two seniors, Benjamin and Sophie, recognized for their exceptional academic achievements. To have one National Merit Finalist every few years at a school of our size would be considered remarkable by any standard,” said Head of School Dexter Mahaffey, “but to have two in a single year is practically unheard of.  It truly speaks to the deep dedication of these two students and the unparalleled scholarly preparation they have received from their Faculty over their years at Vermont Commons School.

 

Scholarship. Community. Global Responsibility.

Students emerge from their time at Vermont Commons School intrinsically motivated to seek out their role for improving the world, with the skills and competencies to do so.