Six very talented Manhasset teens were named winners of the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program. Ryan Fleischman, Caitlin Gleason, Bryan Herbert, Matt Schaeffer, Stephanie Ying and Arthur Wang were selected as National Merit Scholarship Corporation $2,500 scholarship winners. The 2,500 Merit Scholarship designees were chosen from a pool of more than 15,000 finalists in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program.
These scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.
Bryan Herbert scored a 226 on his PSAT test which was sufficient to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program. He made the semifinals of the program and went through the application process, sending in his college essay for the essay portion.
“It was an essay about an experience I had on the wrestling team in my freshman year,” said Herbert. “I actually wrestled a girl who joined the team because girls don’t have their own team as part of Section 9 guidelines.”
Herbert said he won the match but the experience taught him about perseverance and overcoming obstacles. In the fall he will attend Yale University. He is a candidate for the Pfizer Plandome Fire Department scholarship.
Stephanie Ying said her success came from taking SAT’s to help her practice for the PSAT test. In the fall she will be attending Harvard University and plans to Pre-Med with a major in Bio. Ying has received an $1,000 scholarship from News12 as part of their Scholar-Athlete Award for her participation on her school’s Fencing team. She is a candidate for the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation scholarship award.
Ryan Fleischman claims practice tests helped him prepare for the PSAT exam. He studied important components of the practice tests which helped him score a high mark on his PSAT and earned him the $2,500 scholarship. He also received $5,000 for the United States Presidential Scholarship award, which is one of the highest honors a High School student can receive. Fleischman will attend Chicago University in the fall, majoring in Mathematics and Economics. He is a candidate for a Fencing Scholarship.
Arthur Wang will be attending Cornell University in the fall and will be studying Computer Science. As well as being awarded the Merit Scholarship, Wang was also the recipient of a $500 New York State Scholarship for Academic Excellence for his high score on the Regents exam.
Matt Schaeffer is senior at Manhasset High School and he will be attending University of Virginia in the fall. He received the $2,500 Merit Scholarship. He was the Captain of his Fencing team and was also part of his school’s Math Research Club.
Caitlin Gleason will attend Cornell University and she plans to major in Global Affairs and Political Science. In addition to the Merit Scholarship, she received an $1,000 Working Women’s Scholarship and $500 for Daughters of the American Revolution Organization. Gleason was also awarded the Steven J. Hueglin Scholarship for $500 for excellence in English and Social Studies. She was also awarded the “Top of the Class” SCA Scholarship for $250.
