Shelton Student Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

SHELTON, CT — Officials with the National Merit Scholarship Corporation this week announced the names of more than 16,000 semifinalists in the organization's 72nd annual scholarship program, including a student from Shelton.

According to a news release provided by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, the semifinalists from Shelton are:

Shelton High School

Stephanie R. Sanborn

Over 1.2 million juniors in about 20,000 high schools entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants.

The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state, according to the NMSC. The number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application that includes 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, the NMSC noted.

From over 16,000 semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the finalist level next February.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will then be offered in spring 2027.

All finalists will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis.

About 700 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 120 corporations and business organizations for finalists who meet their specified criteria.

In addition, about 140 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,500 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.

National Merit Scholarship winners of 2027 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July.

Written by Richard Kaufman, Patch Staff