Bob Foos
Carter Slinker, a senior at Webb City High School, is among the semifinalists announced this week by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation – meaning he is in the top less-than-1-percent of the nation’s high school seniors.
Over 1.3 million juniors in more than 20,000 high schools entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screening of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
Carter and the other semifinalists can now to compete for some 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.
Carter is the son of Kent and Dana Slinker. He participates in Scholar Bowl, National Honor Society, community service and tutoring programs. He has won awards at regional math and science competitions and an AP Scholar award. He also attended the Missouri Scholars Academy. He plans to major in ceramic engineering.
To become a finalist, Carter and a high school official must submit an application in which they provide information about the his academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards. An essay, and further ACT or SAT scores are also required.
