Rhinebeck High School seniors Beatrice Macdonald and Alan Raitt were among more than 16,000 high school students nationwide who were selected as semifinalists for the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Students are chosen as semifinalists based on their Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test scores in their junior year. Macdonald and Raitt scored 1,510 and 1,500, respectively. The highest score that can be attained on the PSAT is 1,520. Less than 1% of the nation’s high school seniors are chosen to be semifinalists.

“It’s a really great feeling,” Macdonald said in a press release. “It reflects a lot of the work I put in to try and do well in school. It’s nice to be recognized on a level outside of just your school district. It reflects what a great environment Rhinebeck is to

See Full Page