Courtesy of U.S Presidential Scholars Foundation
Nomination is the first step to potentially being named a presidential scholar.Three high-achieving seniors have received nominations for the prestigious Presidential Scholars program this March: Anthony Luo, Pranav Murthy and Ethan Pan.
Being nominated for the program is considered one of the highest honors for graduating seniors. The program was established in 1964 to recognize and honor students who showed exemplary skill in academics; years after, artistic and technical skills were added to the criteria.
Students are nominated one of two ways: either as part of the Department of Education’s list of top test scorers on the SAT and ACT or as one of 20 nominees based on the selection by their Chief State School Officer.
Although the program has been part of the country’s history for over 60 years, the closure of other programs like the Presidential Volunteer Service Award due to budget cuts to the Department of Education made many believe the Presidential Scholars Program would not survive for another year.
“I was surprised I even got the recognition in the first place, considering how severely the department has been cut in the last few years,” Murthy said.
Luo, Murthy and Pan are three of over 6,400 students nationwide to be nominated for the program. All three were nominated based on academic achievement, which calls for near perfect SAT or ACT scores.
Nominees can then apply to move on to semifinals with around 650 other students and a final round that names 161 Presidential Scholars.
The nomination is a huge milestone for Murthy, who plans to study computer engineering and space exploration at the University of California, Los Angeles. Murthy found his passion for the field after doing research in the field over the summer.
Pan believes his SAT and ACT scores were also a major part of his nomination. After graduating, Pan plans to study health and biology at university.
Official results naming this year’s presidential scholars will be announced in mid-May.
