Six students from the MVLA district were recently selected as candidates for the United States Presidential Scholars Program by The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars and the Department of Education.

Seniors Mike Hua, Nikhil Raman, Matthew Ruehle and Laura Shea of LAHS and Seraphine Goh and Kevin Lan of Mountain View High School are among the 3,000 candidates nationwide.

The program will ultimately accept up to 141 scholars, 121 of which are selected for academic achievement and 20 of which are selected for artistic ability in the visual arts, the performing arts or creative writing. The initial approximate 2940 academic candidates are generally nominated based on SAT and ACT scores, whereas YoungArts, a national program identifying and recognizing young people demonstrating excellence in the arts, nominates approximately 60 students.

After receiving candidacy materials in the mail, students must confirm their interest in the program through an application that includes essays, self-assessments, secondary school reports and transcripts.

In April, the Commission on Presidential Scholars will review the applications of around 560 semifinalists; the 141 finalists will be honored for their accomplishments during National Recognition Weekend, held in June in Washington, D.C.

The scholars and their families are given an expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. where they have the opportunity to meet with government officials, educators, authors, musicians, scientists and other accomplished individuals. During the weekend, scholars can also visit museums and monuments and attend recitals, receptions and ceremonies. To commemorate their achievement, the scholars are awarded the U.S. Presidential Scholars medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House.