Two Rockdale students were recently named semifinalists for the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program: Heeyoon Kim of the Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology and Dylan. A. Veneziano of Young Americans Christian School.

They are among the 16,000 semifinalists who will have the chance to go on to compete for 8,300 National Merit Scholarships totalling $32 million in the spring. About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to become finalists, and out of those, more than half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, according to a released statement. About 1.5 million junior entered the 2013 round by taking the 2011 PSAT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test). To become a finalist, students and their high school must submit a scholarshp application with the students' academic record, participation in academic and extracurricular activities, leadership abilities and honors and awards received along with an essay.