Four Portland Public Schools students have been named as Semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program: Portland High School seniors Beatrice DeVito, Charlotte Knake and Kate Morrison; and Casco Bay High School senior Sebastian Milstein-Jones. The National Merit Scholarship Program honors individual students who show exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies.

The four PPS students are among just 51 Maine seniors that the program named Sept. 9 as Semifinalists in the 2027 contest. They and all the other academically talented Semifinalists nationwide now have the opportunity to continue in the competition for about 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $24 million that will be offered next spring.

“I am proud of these remarkable students," said Superintendent Ryan Scallon. "This milestone highlights their personal dedication as well as the tireless encouragement provided by their families and educators along the way. Preparing every student for success in college and future careers is the core of the Achievement goal of our Strategic Plan, and these individuals represent the academic excellence cultivated across our high schools. I extend my warmest congratulations and wish them continued success as they move forward in this prestigious program."

The PPS students are among approximately 16,000 Semifinalists nationwide in this 72nd annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists represents less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors and includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors.

More than 1.2 million juniors entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, which served as an initial screen of program entrants. 

Of the roughly 16,000 Semifinalists, about 95 percent are expected to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. 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. To reach the Finalist stage, 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.

The approximately 15,000 Semifinalists expected to reach the Finalist level will be notified in February of this designation. About half of these Finalists will go on to win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the National Merit Scholar title.

Three types of National Merit Scholarships will be offered in the spring of 2027. The National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and ending in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 395,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

The Portland Public Schools is Maine’s largest school district, with more than 6,200 students, and it’s also the most diverse. About one-third of the district’s students come from homes where languages other than English are spoken—a total of 61 languages. Approximately 49 percent of the district’s students are white and 51 percent are students of color. More than half of all PPS students are economically disadvantaged.