Three Seniors Named Boettcher Semi-Finalists!

Posted December 8, 2025

Northfield High School is thrilled to celebrate three of our outstanding seniors who have been named semi-finalists for the prestigious Boettcher Foundation Scholarship! Congratulations to Kate W., Cordelia P., and Ari B. on this remarkable achievement.

The Boettcher Scholarship, established in 1952, is widely regarded as Colorado’s most selective and life-changing award for high‑school seniors. Each year, the Foundation receives roughly 2,000 or more applications from talented students across the state. From that large applicant pool, only about 300 become semi-finalists — roughly the top ~15% of applicants.

After the semi-finalist stage, applicants submit letters of recommendation and are further evaluated on academic performance, leadership, community service, and character. From the semi-finalists, approximately 100 are selected as finalists and invited to interview.

Ultimately, just 50 students are awarded the scholarship each year. That means only about 2–3% of the original applicant pool receive the full award — making being named a semi-finalist a significant milestone in itself.

So what does the scholarship actually provide — and what does it require of recipients?

• Recipients attend a Colorado four‑year college or university (from a group of eligible institutions).
• The scholarship comes in one of two models: a “Cost of Attendance” model, or a “Tuition & Fees” model. In both cases, scholars receive a fixed amount annually (currently $20,000 per year) for four years; that amount is then used by the college in combination with other institutional, merit‑based, or need‑based aid to cover tuition, fees, and — depending on the model — potentially housing, meals, books, and other expenses.
• Scholars also gain access to enrichment opportunities beyond finances: leadership and community‑service programming, networking with alumni and current Scholars, cultural and educational events, study abroad grants, and career‑ or graduate‑school–preparation support.
• The award is a merit‑based scholarship; financial need is not required. Eligibility is based primarily on scholastic achievement/intellectual curiosity, leadership, community service, and character.
• To remain eligible for continued funding, Scholars must stay enrolled in an approved Colorado four‑year institution and remain in good standing with the Foundation’s requirements (including legal status/ lawful presence if applicable).

Given these numbers and the rigorous selection process, being named a semi-finalist is a tremendous achievement — it places Kate W., Cordelia P., and Ari B. among the very top high school seniors in Colorado.

Next up for them: submission of recommendation letters, then—if selected as finalists—interviews in the spring. We are already enormously proud of their efforts, and we can’t wait to see which of them become a Boettcher Scholar!