Syosset Student Named National Merit Scholar

Congratulations to Syosset High School senior William Long, who is a 2016 National Merit Scholarship winner.

William is among approximately 7,500 students nationwide to receive a total of $33 million in National Merit Scholarships.

William was chosen among 15,000 finalists determined to possess the strongest combination of academic skills and achievements, extracurricular accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies. He initially qualified for the competition by scoring among the highest in the state and top 1 percent in the country on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in 2014.

To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, William completed a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay and providing information about his extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. His outstanding academic record, a high SAT score and an endorsement from the high school, all served as criteria for his award.

William’s accomplishments include having participated in various research programs, including Advanced and Honors science research course studies at Syosset High School, DNA research at The Board Institute of Harvard and MIT and subaquatic acoustics and submarine biomedical research at the U. S. Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory.

Story by Syntax, Photo courtesy of the Syosset CSD: (From left) Syosset High School Principal Dr. Giovanni Durante and Syosset Superintendent of Schools Dr. Thomas Rogers congratulate National Merit Scholarship winner William Long along with Assistant Principal Christopher Ruffini.