RACHEL HARMON

LANGSTON ALLSTON-YEAGLE
Photo credits: 2008-09 Yearbook

URBANA — Seniors Rachel Harmon and Langston Allston-Yeagle are among only 1,600 students to be named 2010 National Achievement Semifinalists.

The program, established in 1964 to recognize black American high school seniors with exceptional academic promise, is an academic competition run by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Uni was one of only 43 high schools in Illinois to have at least one semifinalist, according to statistics provided by the NMSC. Whitney M. Young Magnet H.S. in Chicago led the state with nine semifinalists.

Approximately 160,000 students entered this year's competition by filling in Section 14 on the PSAT/NMSQT during their junior year.

In the initial phase, the program honors about 4,700 students each year based on their test scores: 3,100 as outstanding participants and 1,600 as semifinalists.

According to the NASP's Web site, semifinalists are named on a regional basis; they are the highest-scoring program participants in each region.

Allston-Yeagle and Harmon will now be considered for finalist standing. About 1,300 finalists will be named this winter.

The competition will culminate in late February with the awarding of about 800 National Achievement Scholarships worth a total of $2.6 million.

Candidates for finalist status must present a record of high academic performance, be recommended by their principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm their PSAT/NMSQT numbers. They must also have a school official complete an application that documents the student's school and community activities, leadership abilities, and educational goals.

Last year, James Smith and Malcolm Taylor were named outstanding participants. In 2007, Frankie McFarland was named a semifinalist.