Nominated for the U.S Presidential Scholars Program, a program which looks for academic and community service achievements within their school and community, senior Jan Gagstetter awaits the arrival of whether or not she has been selected as one of the winners.

“I got a letter in the mail about a month and a half ago saying that I have been nominated for this program. I will find out in May,” Gagstetter said.

The program looks for a well-rounded student that will add to their program.

“They look at your leadership roles, academics, standardized testing and involvement in the community. They don’t just want a smart person, they want someone who is well-rounded,” Gagstetter said.

Gagstetter had never heard of the program, but she was still interested and decided to apply once she received the letter.

“They contacted me by mail. I didn’t even know it existed. I didn’t contact them, they contacted me,” Gagstetter said.

Four thousand students are selected to participate in the program, but only five percent of those students will be chosen.

“They choose one boy and one girl from each US state and from Puerto Rico. There are some exceptions though, like if there are two girls from one state that they really want, they will take both of them,” Gagstetter said.

In order to get into the program, Gagstetter had to submit essays.

“I had to write six essays on my own time after school. They were long and time consuming. I also had to get a teacher recommendation. I had my science teacher Mrs. Keller write it for me. I felt bad because she also had to write a few essays for me,” Gagstetter said.

Gagstetter’s counselor, Chris Lorenz, thinks her test scores helped her earn the nomination.

“Each year over 3,900 candidates are identified for the academic component of the program, based on having scored exceptionally well on the SAT or ACT. Without using specific names, West High typically has at least one student nominated each school year. Jan’s high academic marks played a key role in her nomination,” Lorenz said.

Lorenz thinks that Gagstetter will get into the program.

“Jan’s high test scores are an obvious product of her hard work and commitment to academics which will help her get the nomination,” Lorenz said.