2026 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists and Commended Students Announced

Santa Margarita Catholic High School proudly announces that seniors Jingze Dai, Chloe Forsyth, Katherine Rackohn and Angelina Tao have been named Semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Competition.

These four Eagles are among approximately 16,000 students nationwide recognized for their exceptional academic achievement and outstanding performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Semifinalists represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors. They are now eligible to advance in the competition for some 7,400 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million that will be offered next spring.

To become Finalists, students must submit a detailed scholarship application highlighting their academic record, leadership experience and participation in school and community activities. They must also write an essay and earn strong recommendations from a school official.

The National Merit Scholarship Program, established in 1955, is a highly regarded academic competition that celebrates the nation’s most promising students. Finalists will be announced in February 2026, and scholarship winners will be announced in March.

In addition to the Semifinalists, 21 Santa Margarita seniors were recognized as Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship Program. This honor is awarded to the top 3 to 4% of scorers nationwide on the PSAT/NMSQT. It highlights exceptional academic achievement and is a noteworthy distinction in the college admissions process.

Congratulations to the semifinalists and commended students for this outstanding achievement!

Commended Students

Jeremy Ahn

Owen Chuang

Cyra Chung

Bridget Crafts

Devon DeCarlo

Kennedy Frey

Knightley Gee

Reid Gwin

Sonit Joshi

Victoria Lam

Laura Liu

Noah Mooney

Ian Pilchen

Lida Rahnama

Ryan Shi

Jonah Stonecypher

Noah Thomas

Zoe Xanthos

Evan Yip

Kathy Yu

Sophia Zhu