POTTSTOWN, PA — Two Owen J. Roberts (OJR) High School seniors were named by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation as semifinalists in the 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. All semifinalists are eligible to compete for some 6,700 National Merit Scholarship awards worth nearly $24 million, to be awarded in spring 2027. The program honors students who meet exceptional academic ability standards and other requirements, including a recommendation from a high school official.
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. OJR’s two National Merit Scholarship semifinalists are:
- Sejal Pola – A member of OJR High School’s DECA team, Sejal hopes to major in molecular biology at a four-year university in the hopes of someday becoming a doctor. Additional details about Sejal’s journey can be viewed online at https://youtu.be/TTsAq87hj8E.
- Vihaan Putumbaka – President of OJR High School’s French Club, Vihaan plans to pursue a pre-med path in his post-high school graduation studies. Additional details about Vihaan’s journey can be viewed online at https://youtu.be/Wu-cjilepWQ.
“Sejal and Vihaan have both distinguished themselves as exemplary students in our school district, and we could not be more proud of their being named as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists,” said Owen J. Roberts High School Principal Steven Kollar. “We look forward to celebrating their continued success and accomplishments throughout this school year, and for years after they graduate from Owen J. Roberts.”
More than 1.2 million juniors in about 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 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. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.
To become a Finalist, the Semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application, in which they provide information about the Semifinalist’s academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout high school, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, write an essay, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirm the student’s earlier performance on the qualifying test.
From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies, without regard to gender, race, ethnic origin, or religious preference.
For more information about the program’s significance for Owen J. Roberts School District students, and how the district works to support academic excellence, please visit OJR’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@OJR_SchoolDistrict.
Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2027. Every Finalist will compete for one of 2,500 National Merit $2,500 Scholarships that will be awarded on a state-representational basis. About 700 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards will be provided by approximately 120 corporations and business organizations for Finalists who meet their specified criteria, such as children of the grantor’s employees or residents of communities where sponsor plants or offices are located. In addition, about 140 colleges and universities are expected to finance some 3,500 college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who will attend the sponsor institution.
National Merit Scholarship winners for 2027 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join nearly 395,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
Learn more about the Owen J. Roberts School District at www.ojrsd.com.
Learn more about the National Merit Scholarship Program at www.nationalmerit.org.
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