The next round of SAT tests are being handed out Saturday, and for 11 students in the Newport-Mesa school district, thousands of dollars in scholarships hinge on their scores.
The students are among 16,000 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists in the country.
From there, the list will be whittled down to roughly 15,000 in February and ultimately about 8,200.
Three Corona Del Mar High School students and eight Sage Hill School students were named earlier this semester as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.
Finalists are chosen based on SAT and PSAT scores already submitted. Scholar officials look for consistent academic performance at an elite level in school and on the standardized tests.
