Eight Poly Seniors Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Polytechnic seniors are among a select group of students nationwide recognized for outstanding academic performance in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program. The semifinalists are Arjun D., Kelland H., Jujube H., Karissa L., Chloe L., Amelia S., Naomi T-O, and Apollo W. of the class of 2027. 

Last year, they were among more than 1.2 million high school juniors from approximately 20,000 schools who entered the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Of those students, more than 16,000 were named semifinalists, representing less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors and the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

For Apollo W., Poly’s academic rigor helped prepare him for the qualifying test. “I think Poly already prepared us without any extra steps necessary. Getting a good night’s sleep and a good breakfast was all we needed to ramp up for the test,” he said.

Arjun D. shared his excitement about what the recognition could mean for his future. “This is pretty momentous for me. It’ll open a lot of doors in terms of college and beyond, and I’m really excited to see what it leads to,” he said.

Naomi T-O also reflected on the hard work that led to her recognition. “It was such an honor and privilege to have been able to qualify as a National Merit semifinalist. I put a lot of hard work and effort into studying, long hours for this test, and it’s such an honor to see my hard work pay off,” she said.

To advance to finalist standing, semifinalists must meet additional academic and application requirements. From the finalist pool, approximately 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth about $24 million will be awarded next spring. Winners will be selected based on their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

Congratulations to Arjun, Kelland, Jujube, Karissa, Chloe, Amelia, Naomi, and Apollo on this well-deserved recognition. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments as they continue through the competition.