Names were released today of the 147 National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists in Arkansas. This link gives you the full explanation and list of all 147.
The winners tend to cluster at a small number of the state’s more than 300 public and private high schools. (Home schoolers also take the test and three in Pulaski County were semi-finalists.)
After a rare off year last year, Little Rock Central High again had the most semi-finalists, 20. Fayetteville was next with 14, then Cabot and Episcopal Collegiate at 7, Bentonville with 6, and, with five each, Conway, Fort Smith Southside, Mount St. Mary Academy and Math and Science High in Hot Springs.
Elsewhere there were these semi-finalists in Pulaski County: Parkview (3); Mills, North Little Rock, Little Rock Christian, Central Arkansas Christian and Pulaski Academy (2); and Jacksonville, Catholic, Lutheran and Arkansas Baptist, 1 each.
Nearly one-fourth of the state’s semi-finalists came from just two schools, LR Central and Fayetteville.