Two Tiburon students named merit scholarship semifinalists

At least two local teens are among the semifinalists for a National Merit Scholarship.

Redwood High School seniors Greg Dachtler and Lex Von Klark, both of Tiburon, are among the 16,000 teens nationwide who are still in the running for the scholarship program. Students qualify based on their scores on the PSAT, a standardized test they take during their junior year.

To become a semifinalist, entrants must have a consistently high academic record, obtain a letter of recommendation, write an essay and earn SAT scores that confirm their performance on the PSAT.

About 90 percent of semifinalists will become finalists for the 7,500 scholarships, worth more than $32 million. Those finalists will be announced in February, with winning merit scholars named March through June.