Grades Pre-K, PPCD
Grades K-5
Grades 6-8
Grades 9-12
Grades K-12
Plano ISD is proud to announce that 72 students have been named Semifinalists in the prestigious 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program. This distinguished honor places these students among the top academic performers in the nation, recognizing their exceptional achievements on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®).
These academically talented high school seniors have the opportunity to continue competing for some 6,930 National Merit Scholarships, worth nearly $26 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. About 95 percent of the Semifinalists are expected to attain Finalist standing, and approximately half of the Finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar® title.
Semifinalists were selected from more than 1.3 million juniors across 20,000 high schools nationwide. Representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, these students achieved the highest scores in the state. To qualify as Finalists, Semifinalists must submit a comprehensive scholarship application highlighting their academic record, leadership experience, participation in school and community activities, employment, and honors and awards received. Additionally, students must be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm their qualifying test performance.
More than 15,000 of the 16,000 Semifinalists are expected to advance to the Finalist level, which will be announced in February 2026.
*This list includes students who have a publications consent and release form on file with the district.
