Ward Melville High School seniors Kathleen Esfahany, Thomas Howell, Emily Huang, Ethan Li, Michael Lu, Samuel Tan and Leon Zhao have been named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. 

Annually, approximately 16,000 students, or roughly one-third of the 50,000 high scorers, are notified that they have qualified as semifinalists and are invited to continue in the competition for the chance to be named finalists and National Merit Scholarship award winners. 

According to the program’s website, the National Merit Scholarship Program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the NMSP by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test — which serves as the initial screening of approximately 1.6 million entrants each year — and by meeting published program entry and participation requirements.