Ward Melville High School Students National Merit Semifinalists

THREE VILLAGE, NY —Eleven students from Ward Melville High School were named semifinalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship program, Three Village Central School District officials announced in a news release.

The students include Adam Bear, Alexander Dong, Luke Hou, Benjamin Proothi, RiyaSangwan, Peter Sloniewsky, Serene Stoller, Kate Sun, Isabel Xu, Dorian Zhou and MikaeelZohair, according to school district officials.

District officials congratulated the students, calling being named semifinalists an "outstanding accomplishment."

The students are among about 16,000 "academically talented" high school seniors from across the United States to be named semifinalists, school district officials said. As part of the program, high school juniors entered by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship
Qualifying Test, according to school district officials.

Semifinalists represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, including the highest-scoring entrants in each state, school district officials said, adding that the program’s semifinalists have the opportunity to advance in the competition to win scholarships worth nearly $28 million.

About 95% of semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing after submitting a detailed scholarship application, according to district officials.

The finalists are expected to be announced in February.