The University of Texas at Dallas has the most freshman National Merit Scholars in the North Texas region, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation’s recently released annual report.
Among universities with 20 or more freshman Merit scholars in 2007, UT Dallas is now ranked 66th nationwide for the number of students entering with the credential.
A direct indication of the intellectual talent within a student body, the National Merit program identifies and honors scholastically gifted high school students in the United States. National Merit students are highly sought after by colleges and universities and are frequently given scholarships to attend top institutions as a result of the distinction.
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Each year, some 55,000 high school students are honored through the program, and more than 10,000 of the most outstanding participants receive scholarships totaling about $51 million for undergraduate study.
For 2007, Harvard University had the most freshman Merit Scholars with 285. The University of Texas at Austin was second with 283, and Northwestern University rounded out the top three with 249 Merit Scholars.
The National Merit annual report found that 98 colleges enrolled 20 or more freshman Merit Scholars in 2007.