Foxcroft Head of School Mary Louise Leipheimer announced Wednesday that Margaret Brown, a senior at the Middleburg, VA, school, has been named a finalist in the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program. Being selected as a finalist from among the more than 1.55 million eligible students who took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in October 2009 puts Brown among the top one percent of high school students in the country. It also makes her eligible for the National Merit Scholarships worth more than $36 million that will be awarded to these academically-talented students this spring.

The daughter of Dr. Stuart and Ms. Kate Brown of Boyce, VA, Margaret was named a National Merit Semifinalist last fall based on her performance in the 2009 PSAT/NMSQT, which was taken by 3,063,087 high school students. She earned finalist status after demonstrating that she had an outstanding academic record throughout her four years at Foxcroft, by, earning SAT scores that confirmed her performance on the PSATNMSQT, and being endorsed and recommended by Leipheimer. Brown also submitted a detailed application, which included an essay and information about her participation and leadership in school and community activities.

An outstanding scholar who earned the rare honor of being inducted into Foxcroft's Cum Laude Society last spring as a junior, Brown has served in several school-wide leadership positions including as dormitory prefect, club head and spirit team officer.