Livingston Has High Number Of National Merit Semifinalists, Again

LIVINGSTON, NJ — As in previous years, a high number of Livingston teens have been named semi-finalists in the National Merit Scholarship competition. Finalists for the college scholarships are usually announced in spring.

The process begins when students take their PSAT as a sophomore or junior in high school. Tens of thousands of students are chosen as Commended scholars.

During those students' senior year, the number is whittled to semi-finalists. Last year, 16,000 semi-finalists were chosen.

To continue competing, they must submit an essay, recommendations, and more.

In spring, some of the student receive a $2,500 scholarship for college, while others may win an amount from a specific company or a college.

Livingston Semi-Finalists

Last year, Livingston High School had eight semifinalists.

See a story about last year's finalists here.

This year's list is longer. They are:

Chen, Dennis
Dong, Brandon
Hong, Jonathan
Hu, Alan
Jiang, Samuel C.
Li, Katherine J.
Liu, Rebecca
Liu, Sheryl X.
Pillai, Advaith P.
Wang, William J.
Wei, Anlin
Yao, Daisy J.
Zhang, Nathan
Zhang, Tiger

Next Steps

Generally, about 95 percent of the semi-finalists will attain finalist standing, and approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title.

NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was
established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by more than 300 business
organizations and higher education institutions.