NEW CANAAN, CT (October 2024) — New Canaan High School proudly announces that six of its 12th grade students have been named Semifinalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. Congratulations to Eric Huang, William M. Merritt, Thomas N. Pisant, Tedrah G. Smedley, Daniel J. Yoo, and Alexander Yuan, who have demonstrated exceptional academic talent by scoring in the top 1% nationally on the PSAT/NMSQT.
The National Merit Scholarship Program, established in 1955, is one of the most prestigious academic competitions in the United States. Around 1.5 million students each year participate in the competition by taking the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) and meeting specific program entry requirements. Of those participants, only approximately 16,000 students nationwide earn the distinction of being named Semifinalists and top academic performers, representing less than 1% of high school seniors across the country. This year, 134 students from the state of Connecticut achieved this honor, including six from our very own New Canaan High School.
"We're immensely proud of our students who have earned this prestigious honor as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists,” said Dr. Bryan Luizzi, Superintendent of New Canaan Public Schools. “Their hard work, dedication, and academic excellence have placed them among the top 1% of students in the nation, and this recognition is a testament to their commitment to learning. Congratulations to each of them on this impressive achievement."
As semifinalists, our NCHS students will now have the opportunity to continue to compete for one of nearly 7,000 National Merit Scholarships, collectively valued at approximately $26 million, which will be awarded next spring. To advance to the next stage of the competition, students must meet additional academic and application requirements to be named Finalists. Historically, nearly 95% of students with a semifinalist title advance to Finalist standing, with approximately half of those earning the title of Merit Scholar.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is a nonprofit organization that established and manages this scholarship program to honor the brightest minds and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence. The program is funded through NMSC and close to 300 other businesses, educational institutions, and individual donors to support scholastic champions and their pursuit of academic excellence.
The Finalists for the National Merit Scholarship Program will be announced in February 2025.
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2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists