EVANSTON, Ill. — Officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) on Sept. 11 announced the names of approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring.
To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. Over 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship.
Over 1.5 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools entered the 2020 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2018 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
For more information, visit www.nationalmerit.org.
California semifinalists include the following (alphabetical by city):
Arcadia — Evan T. Tsuji, Arcadia High School
Calabasas — Coleman M. Fujishin, Calabasas High School; Nicole M. Emi, Viewpoint School
Carson — Chad Nishimura, California Academy of Mathematics and Science
Culver City — Cooper E. Komatsu, Culver City High School
Cupertino — Kyle M. Tsujimoto, Monta Vista High School
Fullerton — Julia K. Uyemori, Veritas Classical Academy
Irvine — Tyler Sameshima, Arnold O. Beckman High School; Emily L. Fukuda, University High School
La Cañada Flintridge — Wren E. Kawamura, La Cañada High School
Los Altos — Kylie L. Akiyama, Los Altos High School
Mountain View — Seiji N. Imai and Ryan J. Kawahara, St. Francis High School
Newport Beach — Olivia C. Kaneko, Sage High School
Oakland — Hanako J. Helton, College Preparatory School
Pasadena — Caroline M. Hashimoto, Polytechnic School
Poway — Christine A. Wakayama, Poway High School
Rolling Hills Estates — Evelyn H. Hasama, Summer M. Hasama and Emily M. Masuda, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
San Diego — Ryan T. Mikami, Scripps Ranch High School
San Juan Capistrano — Jessica K. Tonai, San Juan Hills High School
Santa Clara — Mia C. Tanaka, Santa Clara High School
Santa Monica — Matthew W. Sasaki and Samuel W. Sasaki, Santa Monica High School
Studio City — Tyra Dane P. Hirooka, Harvard-Westlake School
Temecula — Emika G. Saito, Great Oak High School