New Hyde Park Seniors Are National Merit Scholarship Finalists

NEW HYDE PARK, NY — Three New Hyde Park Memorial High School seniors have made their hometown proud, advancing to finalist standing in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Daniel Kim, Emma Ouyang, and Laurence Lai are among the 15,000 finalists who will have the opportunity to earn scholarships this year, according to the Sewanhaka Central High School District.

Founded in 1955, the National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. Students enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the PSAT during the fall of their junior year.

To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, students are judged on their academic record, demonstrated leadership abilities, school and community activities, employment, and honors and awards. They must also write an essay and be endorsed and recommended by a high school official.

There are three types of National Merit Scholarships: National Merit $2500 Scholarships; corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards; and college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards.

Each finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis.

About 1,000 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by some 220 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor's employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located.

Approximately 180 colleges and universities are expected to finance roughly 4,100 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

Winners will be announced in nationwide news releases beginning in April and ending in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 353,000 other young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.