Mystic Valley Seniors Nominated for U.S. Presidential Scholars Program

  Caroline Crowley and Eric Wang, both seniors at the Mystic Valley Regional Charter School, were recently selected by Jeffrey Riley, Acting Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department Elementary and Secondary Education, as nominees for the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Crowley and Wang are the fourth and fifth Mystic Valley students to receive this prestigious nomination.

  The next step in the process is that the students will be invited by the United States Education Department’s national review team to complete a new application to be considered for national recognition.

  The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by executive order of President, Lyndon Johnson to recognize and honor some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. The Scholars represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people. Application is by invitation only; therefore, students may not apply individually to the Program, nor may their schools nominate them.

  The selection of approximately 4,000 original program candidates generally is made based on SAT and ACT scores. Approximately twenty females and twenty males are selected as candidates from each state.

  A review committee of qualified individuals experienced in secondary and post-secondary education evaluates candidates on their academic achievement, personal characteristics, leadership and service activities, and an analysis of their essay. Approximately 800 candidates are named semifinalists and forwarded to the Commission for further review.

  In April, the Commission on Presidential Scholars reviews the applications of all semifinalists based on the same criteria used by the review committee. The Commission selects up to 161 U.S Presidential Scholars each year. All scholars are honored for their accomplishments during the National Recognition Program, held in June in Washington, D.C.