Kaitlyn Shapiro of Lehighton, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Todd Shapiro, was selected as one of the top five finalists for the top prize of a full-ride, four-year Trustee Scholarship valued at approximately $125,000 at Cedar Crest College.

She was selected based on her academic standing and performance during the competition."We wanted to attract the best and brightest young women who are interested in a woman-focused education that values leadership, scholarship, honor, community and service, and I think we did that," said Kim Owens, senior executive vice president of enrollment management and student affairs.The number of participants this year was nearly triple 2009. The competition was open to young women who will attend college in fall of 2011."These young women are excellent students with the potential to make a difference in our world, and we look forward to having many of them here at Cedar Crest next fall."On Scholarship Competition Day, students took a multiple-choice exam in subjects including math, English, science, arts and the humanities. They also completed a written essay, participated in an interview with a college faculty and student team, toured the campus, and learned about the Cedar Crest campus from current students.A concurrent program gave parents the opportunity to find out more about the college. The grand prize winner will be announced later this month. Non-finalists will receive a one-time, $2,000 scholarship.