Toms River Student Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River Regional student has been named a semifinalist in the prestigious National Merit Scholarship competition.

The nationwide program has named some 16,000 semifinalists, or less than 1 percent of the nation's high school seniors.

Among those semifinalists is Michael J. Pavao from Toms River High School East.

Over 1.3 million students across 21,000 high schools were entered into the program by taking the 2023 PSAT as juniors.

Around 15,000 of the 16,000 semifinalists are expected to be named finalists, organizers said.

To be considered for finalist status, semifinalists and a high school official must complete a scholarship application with details on their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.