Seven Tri-State Area Students Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

Over 16,000 Semifinalists have been named in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

Switzerland County High School senior John Sweeney has been named a National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist. Photo by Switzerland County School Corporation.

(Evanston, Ill.) - This week, officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) announced the names of more than 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 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million that will be offered next spring.

Local students named semifinalists are:

INDIANA

• John Sweeney, Switzerland County High School
• Jacob Slade, Madison High School

KENTUCKY

• Ian Haas, Conner High School
• Samuel Vega Angeles, Conner High School
• Elianna Fromme, Christian Academy (Carrollton)
• Sruthi Gandhiramanathan, Ryle High School
• Andrew Mann, Walton-Verona High School

Over 1.3 million juniors in about 20,000 high schools entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.

From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level in February. 

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2026 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July.