COMMACK SCHOOLS

Commack High School proudly honored on Wednesday three students who have achieved 2025 National Merit Scholarship semifinalist status and an additional seven students who were recognized as commended students in the program.

CHS seniors Edwin J., Irene M. and Andreas M. have been named semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Classmates Harris C., Emma L., Aaron M., Mehek S., Daniel S., Carrie V. and Alexa W. were selected as commended students.

The semifinalist trio have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered in the spring.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. About 95 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.
 

More than 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. 

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.

A semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test. 
 

About 34,000 Commended Students throughout the nation are being recognized for their exceptional academic promise. Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2025 competition by taking the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.