Holmdel High School Students Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

HOLMDEL, NJ — Two Holmdel High School students have been named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced on Wednesday.

Leon Du and Kim Hong are among over 16,000 students nationwide who advanced to the semifinalist round.

Now, the pair have the opportunity to continue competing for about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $24 million that will be offered next spring.

Semifinalists represent less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors and are the highest-scoring entrants in each state among more than 1.2 million juniors nationwide who entered the competition by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

To advance to finalist standing, semifinalists must submit a detailed scholarship application that includes their academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership experience and an essay.

They must also be endorsed by a high school official and confirm their qualifying test performance with SAT or ACT scores.

About 95 percent of semifinalists nationwide are expected to reach finalist standing, and roughly half of finalists will go on to win a National Merit Scholarship.

Winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April 2027 and concluding in July 2027.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a not-for-profit organization established in 1955, funds the scholarships with its own resources along with support from about 260 corporate sponsors, colleges and universities, and individual donors.