Seven Byram Hills High School seniors have been selected as semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, allowing them to compete for about 6,700 scholarships worth approximately $24 million in the spring.
The semifinalists are Ethan Alderman, Ying Yin Chen, India Edwards, Keira Fan, Chloe Ferreira Szilagyi, Vasily Ouyang-Christiansen and Evan Thorsen.
“Congratulations to our outstanding National Merit semifinalists,” Principal Christopher Walsh said. “This achievement reflects their hard work, commitment to learning and dedication to academic excellence. The Byram Hills community is extremely proud of them.”
Guidance Chairperson Kristina Wilson also congratulated the students.
“This honor represents your perseverance and commitment to success,” she said. “We commend you and are excited to see what the future holds.”
More than 1.2 million students entered the scholarship competition last year as juniors by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. The Byram Hills students are among more than 16,000 semifinalists, who represent less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. The nationwide group of semifinalists includes the highest-scoring students in each state.
To become a finalist, students must submit an application that provides information about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, work, honors and awards. They must write an essay and earn standardized test scores that confirm their earlier performance on the qualifying test.
Most of the semifinalists are expected to become finalists. The finalists will be announced in February, and the scholarship winners will be announced from April to July. The winners are selected for their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies.
The Byram Hills High School National Merit semifinalists are, from left, Ethan Alderman, Ying Yin Chen, India Edwards, Keira Fan, Chloe Ferreira Szilagyi, Vasily Ouyang-Christiansen and Evan Thorsen.