3 Wayne Students Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

WAYNE, NJ — Three current high school students in Wayne have been named semifinalists 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.

The three local semifinalists are Hunter Bandola and Laasya Chintala of Wayne Hills High School, and Judith Krajnik of Passaic County Technical Institute. They appeared to be the only Passaic County-based students on the semifinalist list for the 2025 National Merit Scholar program.

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.

The 2024 awards cycle marks the 70th annual program for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Scholarships are usually announced in May. Some winners will receive a scholarship from a corporation, and others receive a $2,500 amount from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation itself.

In 2024, over 6,870 high school students were warded approximately $26 million in National Merit Scholarships, the organization said.