SACO — Thornton Academy senior Adeline Falardeau has been named a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship Award, a national academic competition for high school students that provides financial aid for college.

The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

“Adeline Falardeau’s achievement and success at Thornton are no surprise to me as I learned early in her time at TA that her work ethic was as strong as her natural cognitive abilities,” said School Counselor Mark DeFrancisco. “She really is remarkable — one of few of the most academically brilliant and authentically motivated students I’ve counseled in my 37-year career.”

Students qualify for the National Merit program by achieving a high score on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), taken during their junior year.

Falardeau is one of 16,000 seniors across the nation to be selected as a semifinalist. To become a finalist, Falardeau and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, providing information about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, as well as honors and awards received.