Three Lewis and Clark High School seniors have been named as semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit® Scholarship program.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) announced on Sept. 9, 2026, that Cimarron Waldo, Avisha Patil, and Sabrina Wang are among the 16,000 academically talented high school seniors being considered to receive one of the 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth approximately $24 million that will be offered next spring.
Approximately 340 Washington students were named National Merit Scholar semifinalists this year, with Cimarron, Avisha, and Sabrina as the three of the five Spokane-area candidates and the only local semifinalists enrolled in a public school. Go Tigers!
Over 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®). The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
National Merit Scholar designees are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. For continued consideration, semifinalists and school officials must submit a detailed scholarship application with information about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards received.
"All three of these students are planning to attend college after graduation, and they are involved in activities like National Honor Society and cross country, and very involved within our LC community," shared Principal Ivan Corley, recognizing these amazing Tigers for their engagement and academic pursuits.