Student From Bridgeport School Named Among 2027 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

BRIDGEPORT, CT — One student from a Bridgeport high school is among the more than 16,000 semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

The semifinalists will have an opportunity to compete for about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $24 million. The scholarships will be awarded next spring.

About 95 percent of semifinalists are expected to advance to finalist status, and approximately half of the finalists will receive a National Merit Scholarship.

The following student from a Bridgeport high school was named a 2027 semifinalist:

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND SOFTWARE ENGINEERING HIGH SCHOOL
Wermuth, Charlie

More than 1.2 million students at about 20,000 high schools entered the 2027 competition by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, or PSAT/NMSQT. The test served as the initial screening process for the program.

Semifinalists represent less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors and include the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number selected from each state is proportional to the state's share of the nation's graduating high school seniors.

To advance, semifinalists and a high school official must submit a scholarship application detailing the student's academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership experience, employment, honors and awards.

Semifinalists also must have a strong academic record throughout high school, receive an endorsement and recommendation from a high school official, write an essay and earn SAT or ACT scores confirming their earlier performance on the qualifying test.

More than 15,000 semifinalists are expected to become finalists and will be notified of their status in February. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from the finalist pool.

Recipients are selected based on their skills, accomplishments and potential for success in rigorous college studies, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Three types of scholarships will be offered in spring 2027. Every finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, which will be awarded on a state-representational basis.

Approximately 120 corporations and business organizations will provide about 700 corporate-sponsored scholarships to finalists who meet criteria established by the sponsors. Those criteria can include being the child of an employee or living in a community where a sponsor has a plant or office.

About 140 colleges and universities are also expected to finance approximately 3,500 scholarships for finalists who plan to attend the sponsoring institution.

The 2027 National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced through four nationwide releases beginning in April and continuing through July.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is a nonprofit organization established in 1955 to conduct the annual scholarship program. Scholarships are funded by the organization and about 260 businesses, higher education institutions and individual donors.