Three Osseo Area Schools seniors have been named 2013 National Merit Finalists.

These academically talented high school seniors are eligible for 8,300 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered next spring.

Sean P. McKenna, Martha L. Waterfield and Aniket A. Ketkar, all Maple Grove Senior High students, were named National Merit Finalists.  

Beginning in March and continuing to mid-June, National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) notifies Finalists at their home addresses that they have been selected to receive a Merit Scholarship award. All Merit Scholar designees are chosen based on their abilities, skills, and accomplishments. A variety of information is available for NMSC selectors to evaluate: the Finalist's academic record, information about the school's curricula and grading system, two sets of test scores, the high school official's written recommendation, information about the student's activities and leadership, and the Finalist's own essay.