Sarah D. Davis of Perry Hall High School has been named one of 11 students to be named semifinalists in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program coordinated by the National Merit Scholarship Corp.
“Congratulations to these students for their outstanding academic achievement and to the teachers, families, and administrators who taught and supported them,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Myriam
Rogers.
“We know that all BCPS students have the potential to achieve at high levels. These National Merit semifinalists represent that potential, and the recognition they have earned inspires all members of Team BCPS to set and reach higher goals.”
More than 1.3 million high school juniors entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by
participating in the 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NSMQT®). The highest scoring entrants in each state create the national pool of more than 16,000 semifinalists. The
number of semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of
graduating seniors.
Most semifinalists advance to the finalist level (based on their academic records, recommendations, and
SAT or ACT scores) and compete for 6,930 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million.
Through its longstanding partnership with the College Board, which administers the PSAT/NSMQT and
SAT, BCPS provides funding so that students in Grades 10 and 11 can take the PSAT/NSMQT, and all
Grade 11 students can take the SAT. The PSAT/NSMQT test provides practice for the SAT, BCPS
educators with important assessments of student strengths and areas for improvement, and Grade 11 students with the opportunity to earn merit scholarships.
