September 9, 2026 — 15 Vestavia Hills High School students have been named Semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program. This distinction places them among the top 1 percent of test-takers nationwide and reflects years of sustained effort and academic discipline.

2027 National Merit Semifinalists at Vestavia Hills High School include (as shown in photograph):

Front Row (L-R): Isabel Carlo, Abigail Wang, Grace Ding, Kaylee Zhao, Libby Soong, Veronica Zhang, Katie Dong, Kelly Chen, Sophia Li

Back Row (L-R): Connor Moorhouse, Alan Sheng, Dev Patel, John Largent, Jason Murong, Ethan Estess 

Students qualified for the honor by earning top scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) in 2025. Nationwide, more than 16,000 Semifinalists were selected from over 1.2 million entrants, representing less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors.

Finalists will go on to compete for about $24 million in scholarships to be awarded in the spring.

“Being named a National Merit Semifinalist is an extraordinary achievement, but what we celebrate most is the pursuit of excellence — the curiosity, discipline, and sustained effort that brought each of these students to this remarkable academic milestone,” Vestavia Hills High School principal Blair Inabinet, Ed.D., said today.

National Merit Finalists will be announced in the spring of 2027. VHCS congratulates each student on this well-earned recognition and looks forward to celebrating their continued success throughout the Finalist selection process.