Lucy Chang and Sean Pepe Will Advance in the 70th National Merit Scholarship Competition
The Miller Place School District is excited to announce that two Miller Place High School students have been recognized as semifinalists in the 70th National Merit Scholarship competition. Lucy Chang and Sean Pepe are among just 16,000 students in the nation being considered for about 6,870 awards worth a total of more than $26 million that will be offered in the spring.
“We are incredibly proud of Lucy Chang and Sean Pepe for their pursuit of excellence,” said Superintendent of Schools Seth Lipshie. “We are thrilled to celebrate this exciting achievement with them.”
Semifinalists can advance in the competition by completing several further requirements. About 95 percent of the students recognized as semifinalists are expected to achieve finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will earn a National Merit Scholarship and Merit Scholar title. The National Merit Scholarship Committee has allocated over 423,000 scholarships valued at nearly $1.7 billion to more than three million students nationwide.
Over 1.3 million students across 21,000 high schools in the country entered the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program by completing the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The highest scoring students, representing less than one percent of those who entered, advanced in the competition as semifinalists.
Students could become a finalist by submitting a detailed scholarship application that includes an exemplary academic record, involvement in extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment and any honors and awards they’ve earned. Semifinalists must also submit a personal essay and a recommendation from a high school official, in addition to SAT or ACT scores that match their performance on the qualifying test. Semifinalists will be notified in February if they advanced in the competition.
For more information about the Miller Place School District, please visit the District’s website at www.millerplace.k12.ny.us. To read more about the great things happening in Miller Place schools, visit www.millerplaceinthemedia.com and ‘like’ our Facebook page.
