DEXTER – Three Dexter High School students have been named Semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Competition. They are:
- Claire Beneteau
- Arman Buyukbozkirli
- Marissa SchnursteinThese talented high school seniors now have the chance to keep moving forward in the competition for nearly 7,000 National Merit Scholarships, worth a total of about $26 million, to be awarded next spring. To become a Finalist, Semifinalists need to complete a few additional steps. Typically, about 95% make it to Finalist status, and roughly half of those students go on to earn a National Merit Scholarship and the title of Merit Scholar.NMSC, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955 specifically to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program. Scholarships are underwritten by NMSC with its own funds and by about 300 business organizations, higher education institutions, and individual donors that share NMSC’s goals of honoring the nation’s scholastic champions and encouraging the pursuit of academic excellence.More than 1.3 million juniors entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2024 PSAT/NMSQT. From that group, fewer than 1% of U.S. seniors earned Semifinalist status by scoring among the highest in their state.
To become Finalists, Semifinalists submit an application detailing their academics, activities, leadership, and awards, along with an essay and confirmed test scores. About 15,000 of the 16,000 Semifinalists are expected to advance, and all scholarship winners will be chosen from this group.
In spring 2026, three types of scholarships will be awarded: 2,500 $2,500 National Merit Scholarships, about 830 corporate-sponsored scholarships, and around 3,600 college-sponsored scholarships. Winners will be announced between April and July, joining nearly 390,000 students who have earned the Merit Scholar title since the program began.
