The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced on Wednesday, Sept. 10, its 2026 list of semifinalist high school students who will now compete for a share of about 6,930 scholarships worth almost $26 million. Winners will be announced nationally between April and July next year. This is the 71st annual competition.
High school juniors — 11th graders — entered the 2026 academic competition by taking the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. More than 1.3 million juniors, in about 20,000 high schools, entered the competition by taking the qualifying test.
The highest-scoring students in each state represent the pool of semifinalists who, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, represent less than 1% of United States high school seniors.
The next step for a semifinalist to become a finalist is to complete the required application that includes their SAT or ACT scores, an essay and a letter of recommendation by a high school official.
Finalists are then chosen on the basis of academic record, their participation in community and school activities, how they have demonstrated leadership ability, employment, awards and honors received.
From the group of about 16,000 semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level.
Students will be notified in February 2026 if they are finalists. All National Merit Scholarship winners are selected from this group of finalists, and about half of those are expected to win a scholarship from three categories.
National Merit $2500 Scholarships: Every finalist competes for one of 2,500 scholarships that are awarded on a state-representational basis
Corporate-sponsored scholarships: In 2026, about 830 corporate-sponsored awards will be given out by about 150 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria (such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located)
College-sponsored scholarships: About 150 colleges and universities finance about 3,600 awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor’s institution
The National Merit Scholarship winners, chosen on the basis of accomplishments, skills and potential for college success, are selected from the February finalists group. Winners are notified, on a rolling basis, in 2026 from April to July.
The 2026 scholarship winners join the nearly 389,000 past winners who have earned the title of Merit Scholar.
Here is the list of semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program in Los Angeles County by school location and the school name:
Agoura Hills
Agoura Hills HS
- Hennessey, Grace
- Lieblich, Garin
- Mayer, Noah
Alhambra
Alhambra HS
- Wu, Brendon E.
- Zhang, Alvin J.
Mark Keppel HS
- Chang, Keira I.
- Li, Kalina S.
Arcadia
Arcadia HS
- Gao, Logan
- Lin, Cayden
- Lo, Jake
- Lu, Elly
- Lu, Ruixuan
- Lu, Turner
- Nguyen, Minhtam
- Rizzo, Jason
- Wu, Kevin
- Yang, Drew
- Yuan, Rachel
Bellflower
St. John Bosco HS
- Paredes, Gian Miguel
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills HS
- Albert, Ezra
- Matcuk, Xander
Brentwood
Heritage HS
- Aaron, James
- Jin, Caroline
Burbank
Burbank HS
- Pay, Sebastian
International School Los Angeles
- Procter, Griffin
Calabasas
Viewpoint School
- Abdou, Joseph S.
- Kim, Allison E.
- Mukherjee, Jishnu
Canyon Country
Canyon HS
- Nguyen, Angelina D.
Carson
California Academy of Mathematics and Science
- Lee, Yumi
- Penetrante, Joel
- Sun, Owen
Cerritos
Gretchen Whitney HS
- Andal, Jacob T.
- Binny, Vivasvat
- Chung, Chloe
- Fong, Katelyn
- Ganapathy, Sanjay
- Giron, Andrei Santino L.
- Jacob, Shawn P.
- Kang, William J.
- Kim, Katie
- Lim, Benjamin K.
- Muraliraj, Olivia V.
- Park, Keenan S.
- Prabhu, Niharika
- Tang, Benjamin Q.
- Virk, Aaryan N.
- Zhang, Maximo
Chatsworth
Sierra Canyon School
- Gofnung, Aiden
- McGowan, Nikhil
City of Industry
Workman HS
- Lin, Yisong
Claremont
Claremont HS
- Fong, Caleb J.
- Merla, Arnav N.
- Mussey, Gabrielle
- Shrivastav, Aabhisaar A.
- Vinall, Luke I.
Webb Schools
- Lee, Alexander
- Liu, Yiyang
- Lu, Yihui
- Ng, Tobey
- Tang, Candice
Covina
Charter Oak HS
- Flores, Nash P.
Culver City
Culver City HS
- Frigola, Emma
- Johnson, Rhys E.
- Marcus, Leo R.
- Ono-Lemire, Naoki
Diamond Bar
Diamond Bar HS
- Chang, Shelby
- Eun, Irene
- Hu, Junxi
- Huang, Brian
- Li, Tyler
- Lin, Cristina
- Liu, Cynthia
- Lu, Eireen
- Park, Lawrence
- Tien, Nathan
- Wang, James
- Wu, Valerie
- Ye, Asia
- Zhang, Rongjia
Eagle Rock
Eagle Rock HS
- Simmons-Saadia, Lazare J.
El Segundo
Da Vinci Science HS
- Long, Jadon T.
El Segundo HS
- Antil, Aarush
Vistamar School
- King, Mairin
Glendora
Glendora HS
- Angeles, Maegan
- Boyer, Tessa
- Deshmukh, Ariya
- Lin, Emily
- Patel, Yash
Granada Hills
Granada Hills Charter HSAkopian, SarkisBowden, JasonKim, William
Hacienda Heights
Glen A. Wilson HS
- Guo, George
La Cañada Flintridge
Flintridge Preparatory School
- Bae, Alexander
- Cooper, Samuel
- Khoury, Bahia
- Sanok, Nathan
La Cañada HS
- Baha, Adam
- Chen, Nathaniel
- Chen, Victoria
- Hwang, Min
- Kakuk, David
- Krider, Jonathan
- Lee, Madison
- Luk, Thalia S.
- Maimone, Selena
- Mercer, Lila
- Penanen, Tanmay
- Simonian, Jessica
St. Francis HS
- Toche, James J.
La Crescenta
Crescenta Valley HS
- Buda, Sophia
- Carrillo, Sonia
- Kahdian, Daniel
- Kim, Bailee
- Ludes, Madoka
- Oh, Andrew
- Vesselinov, Angelina
- Yang, Joshua Jun-Hua
La Puente
Bishop Amat Memorial HS
- Guzman, Jerren V.
- Magaling, Jaedon A.
Los Angeles
The Archer School for Girls
- Wang, Melinda
Brentwood School
- Albert, Ruby
- Cohen, Jacqueline
- Gu, Eric
- Kim, Lucas
- Moon, Ethan
Benjamin Franklin HS
- Seiler, Ivan V.
Geffen Academy at UCLA
- Brennan, Victoria
- Essner, Everson
- Sanghai, Pranay
Le Lycee Francais
- Duhaut-Bedos, Solal
Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies
- Piri, Ibrahim
- Shwartz, Micah Z.
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts
- Sie, Bernard
Loyola HS
- Friedman, Jacob P.
- Kim, AaronNakatsu, Joseph
- Pa Ortiz, Diego A.
- Vaghaiwalla, Rishad
- Yuan, Muge
Marlborough School
- Bae, Mia
- Chen, Rachel
- Fischer, Leah
- Hsieh Schumacher, Sonia
- Maehara, Alicia
- Merges, Abigail
- Siegel, Sarah
John Marshall HS
- Waggoner, Raphael I.
Marymount HS
- Chang, Melaina E.
- Cohen, Marlena E.
Mesivta Birkas Yitzchok
- Krich, Hillel
Notre Dame Academy
- Nishimuro, Jessica
Shalhevet HS
- Katzin, Sonya
Windward School
- Cohn, Charlie
- Linton, Leila J.
- Oh, Madeline H.
- Rutman, Aidan M.
Manhattan Beach
Mira Costa HS
- Campbell, Miles
- Henry, Audrey
- Jackson, Catherine
- Malis, Emilia
- Murphy, Lachlan
- Rothermel, Mary
- Sulaiman, Brianna
- Tarnay, Collin
North Hollywood
North Hollywood HS
- Chang, Connor H.
- Felts, Henry C.
- French, Daniel C.
- Hwang, Katie M.
- Jaspan, Marlowe E.
- Kim, Danny
- Lim, Vincent H.
- Mishra, Shashwat
- Newhall, Lev S.
- Ohshima, Suzuko D.
- Olinger, Natalie N.
- Putnam, Jack C.
- Yang, Jerry A.
- Zhao, Connor Z.
Oakwood School
- Walpert, Noah
Science Academy STEM Magnet
- Ernst, Frederick I.
- Kunnath, Pranav P.
- Lee, John D.
- Lee, Ryan M.
- Rowe, Xavier M.
Pacific Palisades
Palisades Charter HS
- Kim, Caleb
- Smith, Audrey
Palos Verdes Estates
Palos Verdes HS
- Kim, Logan J.
- Wang, Wesley K.
- Yim, Charles T.
Palos Verdes Peninsula
Chadwick School
- Liu, Moshi
- Maas, Cadence
- Rosenbaum, Matthew
- Ross, Alistair
- Somers, Derek
- Zeng, Spencer
Home school/Online School
- Oh, Joshua
Pasadena
Blair HS
- Griffin, Joel
La Salle HS
- Lai, Cory
Maranatha HS
- Lee, Griffin
Pasadena HS
- Karapetyan, Maria
- Monson, Jacob
- Nash, Zachary
- Nunes, Zalea
- Sinclair, Megan
Polytechnic School
- Benitez, Joseph
- Burt, Clive
- Chen, Evan
- Cheung, Ginny
- Cho, August
- Chui, Alexander
- Delbridge, Madeleine
- Engstrom, Ellery
- Fish, Filiz
- Ismagilov, Daniel
- Shin, Brandon
- Venuturupalli, Akhil
- Zhang, Allison
- Zhang, Michael
Westridge School
- Chen, Zihan
- Liu, Meicen
- Tan, Olivia
Redondo Beach
Redondo Union HS
- Buttari, Giulio
- Choi, Lorelei
- DiLallo, Zander
- Kang, Katelyn S.
- Lerch, Felix
- Swift, Sheamus
- Thomson, Mackenzie
- Yook, Jonathan
Reseda
Reseda HS
- Gupta, Siona
Rolling Hills Estates
Palos Verdes Peninsula HS
- Anand, Anish A.
- Chiou, Ryan C.
- Cho, Inu J.
- Choi, Nathan H.
- Chu, Audrey M.
- Kang, Yejun
- Kim, Isaac H.
- Kwon, Aiden J.
- Lee, Luke
- Li, Aaron
- Ramanuja, Nikhil
- Tseng, Kaili Y.
- Tu, Micah K.
- Wong, Nathaniel L.
- Wu, Katie E.
Rosemead
Rosemead HS
- Chen, Jasmine G.
Rowland Heights
John A. Rowland HS
- Chu, Avery L.
- Tan, Jeremy
- Tao, Elaine
- Zhou, Jesse
San Gabriel
Gabrielino HS
- Mak, Carter L.
- Shao, Tianyu
- Tang, Ethan A.
San Marino
San Marino HS
- Chan, Brandon C.
- Chou, Winston L.
- Chuang, Brandon N.
- Hsu, Olivia
- Huang, Kay N.
- Lee, Ryan H.
- Phan, Kiefer L.
- Song, Xiangjie N.
- Tran, Sarah M.
- Wu, Benjamin S.
- Wu, Eason M.
- Yang, Adelynne E.
Santa Clarita
Academy of the Canyons
- Chung, Aiden
Santa Monica
Cossroads School
- Rao, Sissi A.
New Roads School
- Farrell-Katseanes, Hayden
- Rose, Milo
Santa Monica HS
- Bendersky Boreth, Eli
- Choe, Camille
- Glasser, Sabrina
- Knauf, Carly L.
- Naini, Kaveh
Sherman Oaks
Notre Dame HS
- Braithwaite, Alexander
- Cruz, Benedict Henry
- Le, Ethan
- Mcauliffe, Katherine
South Pasadena
South Pasadena HS
- Asakura, Mason
- Chang, Alexa
- Chung, Elizabeth
- Kano, Sarah
- Kowal, Anna
- Singer, Solana
- Van Kerkhove, Gihan
- Vandevelde, Rose
Studio City
Campbell Hall
- Reyblat, Eli
Harvard-Westlake School
- Abrahamson, Zachary R.
- Aguilar, Miles S.
- Assil, Sydney D.
- Bakaya, Vikrant
- Benardo, Samuel L.
- Bowse, Brando K.
- Chen, Ethan Z.
- Dai, Markenever
- Dai, Mikenever
- Daub, Lauren
- Drouin, Adrian
- Ferrie, Jessica
- Glass, Calder J.
- Graczyk, James E.
- Graff, Kayla A.
- Higashi, Anju
- Jeon, Ella M.
- Jo, Andrew H.
- Lee, Seoyoon
- Liftin-Harris, Silas M.
- Louie, Robinson J.
- Majumdar, Lyra
- Mayer, Chase
- Meyer, Max S.
- Park, Audrey E.
- Ramberg, Sally M.
- Rosen, William L.
- Ryu, Erin Y.
- Sarvaiya, Nikhil
- Schlessinger, Shimon
- Schwartz, Levi R.
- Scoville, Cordelia T.
- Tran-Lee, Emma
- Yam, Melanie H.
- Yilmaz, Darren R.
- Yuan, Chen
- Zahiri, Cyrus C.
- Zhang, Ka Yan
Sun Valley
Francis Polytechnic HS
- Barraza Saucedo, Eduardo
Tarzana
Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies
- Kovalev-Sheinberg, Sarah M.
- Wachs, Sylvia M.
Temple City
Temple City HS
- Hu, Neil
- Liao, Eric
- Prasad, Manu
- Sabol, Hakan
- Trieu, Logan
Torrance
South HS
- Han, Andrew
- Jang, Junue
West HS
- Lee, Augustine
- Moon, Katherine
- Que, Kaden
- Sayano, James
- Shao, Warren
- Wong, Benjamin
Valencia
Valencia HS
- Kim, Andrew
- Kozakis, Devin
West Ranch HS
- Arangil, Rohit
- Avalos Lujan, Florencia
- Chang, Brandon W.
Van Nuys
Van Nuys HS
- Lee, Ian
Venice
Venice HS
- Gibson, Rickia R.
Walnut
Walnut HS
- Chen, Elise C.
- Chen, Xinyue
West Hills
Chaminade College Preparatory
- Kogan, Marc
Westlake Village
Oaks Christian School
- Mitterberger, Carolin
- Pak, Emma
Westlake HS
- Basamakov, Alexander
- Gowda, Khushi
- Kwon, Chenya
- Liu, Angela
- Wang, Chloe
- Wu, Krystal
- Xie, Benjamin
Winnetka
A.G.B.U. Manoogian-Demirdjian School
- Gharibian, Andrew
- Markarian, Sevag
- Vakian, Sevag
Woodland Hills
William Howard Taft HS
- Marletti, Jakob D.
- Nabat, Seth J.
- Simpson, Jack A.
High school students interested in applying in future years need to talk to their school counselor to make arrangements to take the PSAT/NMSQT test. Registration is through the high school and not by the students. For information on the competition, tinyurl.com/mrx4t933
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation was established in 1955 and is an independent, not-for-profit group that does not operate with government assistance.
The goals of the organization are to reward academically-dedicated students, encourage academic excellence at all levels of education, promote a deeper respect for learning in general and to encourage individuals and organizations to sponsor scholarships.
The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who demonstrate “exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.” www.nationalmerit.org