Nine Wichita high school students have been named National Merit Semifinalists, placing them among the highest-scoring students in Kansas who took the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test during their junior year.
The students, representing East, Heights and Northwest high schools, were surprised at their schools Wednesday, Sept. 9, with the announcement.
Heights High School senior Adrian Le was recognized at 9:30 a.m.
East High School seniors Elijah Corpus, Logan Costa, Krishanu Demovic Ahmed, Eli Fox, Simon Hungria and Ashwatth Jagadessh were recognized at 10 a.m.
Northwest High School seniors Jarrett Bootsma and Phillip Bowers were recognized at 11:30 a.m.
The nationwide pool of National Merit Semifinalists represents less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. Semifinalists are the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
Students selected as Semifinalists must complete a detailed application process to advance to finalist standing. Finalists also must meet additional academic requirements, including earning strong SAT or ACT scores. National Merit Scholarship winners are expected to be announced in spring 2027.
The Wichita Public Schools students selected as Semifinalists exemplify the district’s commitment to its “Every Student, Future Ready” mission to equip students with the tools they need to flourish in life, college or a career.
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