Nine Seniors Named National Merit Semifinalists

Nine seniors at Shaker Heights High School were named National Merit Semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program. This year’s Semifinalists from Shaker Heights include Anders Beckman, Nathan Bordeaux, Eden Cohen, Louisa Holda, Paolo Antonio Ligon, Jack Napuk, Gideon Polster, Ruby Wang and Mason Zhang.

Our group of semifinalists represents the second-highest number of National Merit Semifinalists among public schools in Cuyahoga County and a tie for twelfth-highest among public schools in the state.

These talented Shaker seniors, along with other Semifinalists across the country, have the opportunity to continue in the competition to win one of 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $24 million. Semifinalists must fulfill several additional requirements to reach the Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will earn a National Merit Scholarship and the title of Merit Scholar.

More than 1.2 million juniors across 20,000 high schools entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. Merit Scholar designees are selected based on their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. Congratulations to our Shaker Heights students!