Greater Atlanta Christian Seniors Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Earlier this October, Greater Atlanta Christian School (GAC) seniors Kevin Liu and Akhil Sarikonda were named National Merit Semifinalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Competition. 

Liu and Sarikonda are among over 16,000 Semifinalists in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Semifinalists must have outstanding academic records, a recommendation from a high school official, an essay submission and SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying PSAT test.

Semifinalists are chosen from 1.3 million high school students who took the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) during their junior year. 

These semifinalists are competing for 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million. Winners will be announced in the spring of 2024.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award and advance to the competition’s final level, semifinalists must submit a detailed application. 

This application includes the student’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment and honors or awards received.

“Kevin and Akhil are dedicated to their academics and pursue excellence both in the classroom and in their many activities within GAC and out,” Dr. Paul Cable, GAC High School Principal, said. 

“We couldn’t be prouder of their accomplishments and eagerly anticipate the bright futures ahead for these exceptional students,” he added.