South San Francisco High School campus

How to Stand Out During the College Admissions Process I

The College Board recently conferred National Hispanic Recognition Awards (NHRA) on El Camino High School senior Cristian Matthew Navarro and junior Evalina Tamayo and National African American Recognition Awards (NAARA) on South San Francisco High School senior Kieon Miller and El Camino High senior Maya Thompson.
 
“This is wonderful news from the College Board,” said South City High Principal Kevin Asbra.
 
(L to R) El Camino High senior Cristian Matthew Navarro, El Camino High junior Evalina Tamayo, and South City High senior Kieon Miller
 
El Camino High School Principal James Briano concurred.
 
“Congratulations to Maya, Cristian, and Evalina,” said Briano. “They were three of 72,000 students from across the country who earned these academic honors. Their strong performance on standardized tests and in the classroom will help them stand out during the college admissions process.”
 
The College Board’s National Recognition Program celebrates the achievements of high-achieving, underrepresented students by identifying students living in rural areas as well as African-American, Indigenous, and/or Latino students with grade point averages (GPA) of 3.5 or higher who: (1) scored in the top 10% of the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) in their state or (2) who earned a score of three or higher on two or more AP exams in 9th and 10th grade.
 
Scoring in the top 10% of the PSAT in one’s state as a high school sophomore is the most common pathway to becoming a National Merit Scholar.
 
National Merit Scholars are eligible to receive a one-time $2,500 scholarship through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a corporate-sponsored scholarship of $2,500 or more, or a four-year, renewable scholarship through a preferred college or university.