Draganoff Named National Merit Scholar
May 16, 2018
Christian Brothers Academy senior Daniel Draganoff was named a 2018 National Merit Scholarship recipient, as announced by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation on Monday.
The 2,500 Merit Scholar designees were chosen from a talent pool of more than 15,000 outstanding finalists in the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program. National Merit $2500 Scholarship winners are the finalists in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
“CBA is very proud of Dan’s exemplary and well-deserved achievement,” Associate Principal Sean Nunan said. “His dedication to personal excellence brings honor to CBA, particularly to the teachers who have challenged and encouraged him in his four years at the Academy. I look forward to seeing the great things that Dan goes on to accomplish in his life after high school.”
Draganoff, who will be attending the University of Pennsylvania next fall, has taken multiple Advanced Placement courses at CBA, all while being a standout in the Academy’s nationally recognized chess 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. Applicants submitted their 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.
This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in October 2016 when over 1.6 million juniors in more than 22,000 high schools took the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named Semifinalists on a state-representational basis. From the semifinalist group, some 15,000 students met the very high academic standards and other requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition.
Out of the 15,000 finalists, CBA had three: James Clabby, Draganoff, and Peter Hegel. The Academy also had eight other seniors named as Commended Scholars.
About the NMSC
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation that operates without government assistance, was founded in 1955 specifically to conduct the National Merit Scholarship Program. The majority of scholarships offered each year are underwritten by approximately 410 independent corporate and college sponsors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring scholastically talented youth and encouraging academic excellence at all levels of education.