5 Hudson County Teens Named National Merit Semifinalists

HUDSON COUNTY, NJ — Each September, high-achieving high school students across the country are chosen as semifinalists for a $2,000-per-year grant for college from the National Merit Scholarship Program.

The first round of choices is based solely on the students' PSAT scores from their junior year.

Next spring, the group will be narrowed based on their high school achievements and other factors.

The National Merit Scholarship Board released its new list of semifinalists on Tuesday, including dozens from New Jersey high schools.

Hudson County Semifinalists

The semifinalists in Hudson County are:

Hoboken High School

Carolina Fernandez

McNair Academic High, Jersey City

Avni Kakra

St. Peter's Prep, Jersey City

Pratyush Majumdar

High Tech High (Hudson County Schools Of Technology), Secaucus

Parth Khot

Jose Marti Stem Academy, Union City

Lehansa C. Marambage

Nationally, 16,000 students were chosen as semifinalists. This includes students from public schools, private schools, on-line schools, and county magnet schools. All students take the same PSAT to qualify.

By spring 2027, the group will be narrowed down to finalists and then scholarship recipients.