2 North Hills seniors named 2027 National Merit Semifinalists

North Hills High School seniors Wyatt Lipinski and William Woodside have been named Semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing them among the highest-scoring high school seniors in the nation.

Additionally, North Hills senior Matthew Peck has been named a Commended Student in the 2027 program in recognition of his outstanding performance on the qualifying test.

Lipinski and Woodside are among more than 16,000 Semifinalists nationwide in the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Representing less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors, Semifinalists now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for approximately 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $24 million that will be offered in the spring.

More than 1.2 million high school juniors at approximately 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 serves as the initial screening of program entrants.

The highest-scoring entrants in each state are selected as Semifinalists. The number of Semifinalists selected in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

To advance to Finalist standing, Lipinski and Woodside must maintain an outstanding academic record throughout high school and be endorsed and recommended by a high school official. They must also submit a detailed scholarship application outlining their academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership experience, employment, and honors and awards. In addition, Semifinalists must write an essay and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm their earlier performance on the PSAT/NMSQT.

More than 15,000 of the approximately 16,000 Semifinalists are expected to advance to Finalist standing and will be notified of their status in February. Approximately half of the Finalists will ultimately receive a National Merit Scholarship and earn the title of Merit Scholar.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be awarded in 2027: 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, approximately 700 corporate-sponsored scholarships and about 3,500 college-sponsored scholarships.

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

Commended Students such as Peck are also recognized for their exceptional academic promise based on their performance on the PSAT/NMSQT but do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation is a nonprofit organization established in 1955 to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program and recognize academically talented students across the country. For more information about the National Merit Scholarship Program, visit www.nationalmerit.org.