Indiana University High School student Mark Popham decided to participate in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship Program on a lark. He didn't have any expectations, so imagine his surprise when he was named a finalist.
Popham, one of the more than 885 active students who are completing their diploma at a distance through Indiana University High School, is among 15,000 Merit Scholarship finalists nationwide. Beginning in March, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) will notify approximately 8,000 finalists that they have been selected to receive a Merit Scholarship award.
Popham had a very good reason for deciding to complete his diploma at a distance through Indiana University High School: He wanted, more than anything, to attend college at the Parsons School of Design in New York City. The problem was that he had less formal art education than most art school applicants. "I wasn't quite sure if I had the skills to justify even applying to Parsons," he says. "I felt that some face time with Parsons faculty would really help."
To that end, Popham devised a game plan. He would move to New York City and live with his brother John and sister Emily, students at the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School of Music, respectively. Once there, he would attend some Parsons continuing education classes and portfolio reviews. "The only hurdle left was finishing high school," says Popham. "I realized that I would have to find a program that specialized in distance learning. My research into Indiana University High School told me it would be perfect for my needs."
Popham's game plan worked. He was accepted into Parsons and is now an IUHS student. "I really enjoy the flexibility Indiana University High School gives me, and the lessons are truly interesting," he says. "With the program, I've been able to move to New York, get a part-time job, put together a portfolio, and get into my first-choice college-all the while getting an actual high school diploma."
What's more, Popham continues, Indiana University High School has helped prepare him for college. "Indiana University High School has given me a good sense of time management and responsibility. Juggling projects with school work is going to become vitally important over the next four years, and I'm glad I've had a year of practice before college."
Popham is self-effacing when talking about the National Merit Scholarship Program. "I assumed I had no chance," he says. A look at the program's requirements might explain why he felt this way. Established in 1955, the program requires students to compete at several stages. Candidates enter the competition by taking a Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Semifinalists are selected from among the highest scoring entrants in each state and represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. To become finalists, semifinalists must have a record of very high academic performance, be endorsed and recommended by their school principal, and earn SAT scores that confirm their earlier qualifying test performance.
"When I found out I was a semifinalist, I started to take it a tad more seriously," says Popham. "The toughest part was writing my essay. It was hard to strike a balance between being overly modest and bragging. The best part was finding out that I was a finalist, which completely took me by surprise. I'm very proud of my accomplishment. I've never really been one to win awards at school, and it feels really great to get some recognition."
"We are thrilled for Mark and proud of Indiana University High School," said Judy Wertheim, interim dean of the School of Continuing Studies. "Mark's success in this competition speaks volumes about his individual talents and attests to the caliber of Indiana University High School and its students."
Popham will enter the design and technology entrance track at Parsons this fall. After his first year, he will graduate to product design. "At some point in my professional future," he says, "I would like to balance product design and set design."
