Biotechnology High School Student Named National Merit Scholarship Winner

FREEHOLD, NJ — A Biotechnology High School student has joined a group of elite students around the U.S. to be named a corporate-sponsored National Merit Scholar.

About 700 winners across the nation were selected from a pool of over 16,000 semifinalists for the award, which were in turn selected from 1.6 million students who took the PSAT last fall.

Among these winners is Kriti Reddy Polimera, of Marlboro, who plans to pursue a career in chemical engineering. Polimera was awarded the National Merit Commvault Scholarship..

Corporate sponsors provide National Merit Scholarships for finalists who are children of their employees, who are residents of communities the company serves, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage.

The awards range from $1,000 to $10,000 per year for up to four years of undergraduate study.

Exact amounts are not disclosed for specific students, who can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.

High school juniors automatically enter the National Merit Scholarship competition by taking the PSAT.

High scorers are then invited to complete a detailed scholarship application, including an essay, information on leadership and extracurricular activities, and more. From the semifinalist group, over 15,000 met finalist requirements.

By the end of the 2026 competition, about 6,700 finalists will have been selected to receive National Merit Scholarships totaling $24 million.

Winners are the finalist candidates judged to have the strongest combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

To learn more about the National Merit Scholarship Program, you can click here.