Camille Crossett is a National Merit Semifinalist

Camille Crossett, a high school senior in the School of Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, is a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist, Headmaster and Dean of High School Martin Ferrell has announced. Crossett, who is from Anchorage, Alaska, is among about 1 percent of the 1.6 million annual candidates who qualify as semifinalists.   

Additionally, seven UNCSA students are among approximately 34,000 high school seniors who were named National Merit Commended Scholars. Students recognized from the School of Music include Caleb Adams, Zane Hollomon and Aida Mitchell, all from Winston-Salem; and Jacob Schoolman from Raleigh, N.C. From the School of Dance, Commended Scholars are Elaina Da Fonte from Roxbury, Conn., Leighton Stanfill from Burlington, N.C., and Emily Waldo from Pittsboro, N.C.

“Recognition by the National Merit Scholarship Program is quite an honor, and can put high school seniors on the path to being awarded financial assistance for college,” Ferrell said. “Camille and the seven commended students are dedicated to their academic courses, even as they pursue rigorous conservatory training in the arts. The faculty join me in applauding this achievement by eight of our most exceptional artist-scholars.”

High school students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. 

Semifinalists have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered next spring.

To progress in the competition, semifinalists must submit detailed scholarship applications which demonstrate academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. They must be endorsed and recommended by high school officials, must write an essay, and must earn SAT scores that confirm their earlier performance on the qualifying test.

Finalists will be announced in February 2019, and scholarship recipients will be announced beginning in April 2019.

The High School Academic Program at UNCSA combines top-tier academics with immersive conservatory training in dance, drama, music and visual arts. The UNCSA graduating high school class averages 125 students annually with 100 percent graduation rate. Typically, students in the top two-thirds of the class hold grade point averages above 3.0. 

by Lauren Whitaker