Five students from Bainbridge and one from North Kitsap high schools made the National Merit Scholarship semifinalist list released Sept. 13.

From BHS there is Cameron Albee, Troy Edwards, William Hansen, Zachery Huck and Caleb Nelson.

NKHS’s Quinlan Stuart is the lone other Kitsap County student on the list.

Nationwide, 16,000 students made the 69th annual list. Some 7,140 scholarships worth $28 million will be announced next spring. The semifinalists scored highest in their states and represent less than 1% of high school seniors.

To become a finalist, each semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the student’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.