Above: photos of Benton’s semifinalists (l. to r.) are Maggie Zhang, Alizon Padron, Ryne Lewallen, Thomas Gilliland, and Abdalrahman Abdalrahman.
Five Benton High School seniors have been named Semifinalists in the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program, putting them in line to compete for a share of nearly $24 million in college scholarships.
The prestigious designation places the local students among less than one percent of high school seniors nationwide recognized for exceptional academic achievement. Read more below.
Officials with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the nationwide pool of more than 16,000 Semifinalists on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Over 1.2 million high school juniors across roughly 20,000 high schools entered the 2027 competition by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen.
The five Benton High School honorees – Maggie Zhang, Alizon Padron, Ryne Lewallen, Thomas Gilliland, and Abdalrahman Abdalrahman – are now eligible to continue in the competition for approximately 6,700 National Merit Scholarships offered next spring. To advance to Finalist standing, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements, including submitting a detailed scholarship application that highlights their academic record, school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment, and honors received.
Additionally, students must be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn confirming SAT or ACT scores to validate their performance on the qualifying test. About 95 percent of Semifinalists—more than 15,000 students—are expected to attain Finalist standing, with official designations announced in February 2027.
Finalists will compete for three types of awards in spring 2027:
- National Merit $2500 Scholarships: 2,500 single-payment awards granted on a state-representational basis.
- Corporate-Sponsored Merit Scholarships: Approximately 700 awards financed by roughly 120 corporations and business organizations for Finalists meeting specific criteria.
- College-Sponsored Merit Scholarships: Roughly 3,500 awards supported by about 140 higher education institutions for Finalists attending the sponsor school.
Merit Scholar designees are selected based on their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases between April and July 2027.
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