Norman Public Schools (NPS) is proud to announce that 18 students have been named Semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit® Scholarship Program. This honor places them among the top high school seniors in the nation and reflects the strong academic foundation built at NPS.
Each year, about 50,000 students across the country are recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program. Of those, only about 16,000 earn the distinction of Semifinalist. These students, chosen for their high scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), are the only participants eligible to advance to the Finalist stage and compete for scholarships. In 2026, approximately 6,930 students will be selected as Merit Scholarship® winners.
The 2024 PSAT/NMSQT served as the entry point for the 2026 program, with more than 1.3 million students taking the test. The highest scorers in each state—less than one percent of seniors nationwide—earned Semifinalist status.
In 2026, about 6,930 scholarships will be awarded, including:
• 2,500 National Merit® $2,500 Scholarships
• about 830 corporate-sponsored awards
• about 3,600 college-sponsored awards
“We are incredibly proud of our 18 National Merit Semifinalists. Their success reflects not only their hard work, dedication, and curiosity but also the encouragement of their families and the commitment of our remarkable educators,” said Dr. Nick Migliorino, NPS Superintendent. “At Norman Public Schools, our mission is to prepare and inspire every student to achieve their full potential. These outstanding scholars embody that mission and inspire their peers, our staff, and the entire community.”
The 18 NPS National Merit Semifinalists are:
Keon Azadi, Norman High School
Reid Buss, Norman North High School
Ryan Chen, Norman North High School
Lillian Dai, Norman North High School
Ruining Du, Norman North High School
Cole Graves, Norman High School
Hudson Hart, Norman North High School
Juliana Hong, Norman North High School
Miranda Huang, Norman North High School
Hannah Joo, Norman North High School
Patrick Nguyen, Norman North High School
Georgia Oubre, Norman North High School
Ethan Parrish, Norman North High School
Samuel Pilat, Norman High School
Ruoni Tang, Norman High School
Victoria Sun, Norman North High School
Elizabeth Yue, Norman North High School
Andrew Zhang, Norman North High School
To advance to Finalist status, Semifinalists must complete a detailed application that includes their academic record, leadership experience, activities, and honors. They must also be recommended by a school official, maintain a strong academic performance, and earn SAT® scores that confirm their earlier test results.