National Merit Scholars:(Photo from Left to right) Beth Guarriello, EHS Principal; Dr. Kristen Campbell, Superintendent of Schools; Daniel Witmer; Colby Zheng; William Zheng; Dr. Joshua Levinson, East Penn School Board President
Congratulations to Daniel Witmer, Colby Zheng, and William Zheng for being named as a 2025 National Merit Scholar Semifinalist. Dan, Colby, and William were named along with more than 16,000 Semifinalists in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to
continue in the competition for some 6,870 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next 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.
Over 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 (PSAT/NMSQT®), 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.
From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.
Also, Congratulations to our 2025 National Merit Scholar commended students:Â
Aiden Cannon
Michael Carter
Brayden Dang
Connor Iyengar
Andrew Lee
Griffin Messenlehner
Anna Smith
Commended Students: (Photo from left to right) Beth Guarriello, EHS Principal; Dr. Kristen Campbell, Superintendent of Schools; Aidan Cannon; Brayden Dang; Connor Iyengar; Griffin Messenlehner; Dr. Joshua Levinson, East Penn School Board President Not Pictured: Michael Carter, Andrew Lee, and Anna Smith