Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) today announced the names of over 16,000 Semifinalists in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring.

More than 1.3 million juniors in approximately 20,000 high schools nationwide entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. To become a Finalist, Semifinalists must meet high academic standards and other requirements, including an outstanding academic record, a confirmed SAT or ACT score, and an endorsement by a high school official.

Mount Vernon High School is proud to announce that three of its seniors have been named National Merit Semifinalists:
Sala Glandon, Ben Henricksen, and Lucy Rush.
These students have demonstrated exceptional academic promise and are now eligible to advance in the competition for National Merit Scholarships to be awarded in the spring of 2026.