Justin Joseph and Varun Patel Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Justin Joseph, son of Shyla and Martin Joseph and Varun Patel son of Bina and Janmejay Patel named semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship. Currently Justin is attending a magnet program at the Valley High School while Varun is a senior at the Meadows School.

Earlier Justin scored a perfect score in ACT and scored 2390 out of 2400 in SAT. Justin is planning to join UNR for their joint medical program. Varun is active in debate team at Meadows and has achieved Eagle status in the Boy Scouts of America. For his Eagle project, he helped outfit needy children with school clothes. Patel enjoys basketball, computers, camping, and playing the trumpet.

Both Justin and Varun will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 8,300 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered next spring. Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2013.

Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state representational basis. About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 240 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 200 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 4,800 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.