Auburn Seniors Named Finalists for National Merit Scholarship

Update: Auburn High School seniors Alexander Ferry and Puranjay Gupta have moved on to the finalist stage of the 2022 National Merit Scholarship award process.

Alex and Jay were named semifinalists in September for the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less than one percent of high school seniors across the country. Scholarship winners are selected for their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.  

About 95 percent of semifinalists move on to earn finalist standing. Approximately half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship. Scholarships honor the nation’s scholastic champions and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence. The 2022 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July.

Sept. 23, 2021

Auburn High School seniors Alexander Ferry and Puranjay Gupta are semifinalists for the 2022 National Merit Scholarship award.

They are among approximately 16,000 semifinalists from across the country announced this month in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less than one percent of high school seniors across the country. Scholarship winners are selected for their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.  

Alexander and Puranjay are both in the Gifted Academy at Auburn High School. These academically talented seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 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. Scholarships honor the nation’s scholastic champions and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence.  

The 2022 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 362,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.