Cuyahoga Heights High School senior Zhou Wei Ni has been named a semifinalist in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing him among the nation’s highest-achieving high school students.

Ni earned the prestigious recognition based on his performance on the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).

“Zhou Wei is an exceptional student whose dedication to his academics and commitment to excellence are evident in everything he does,” said Cuyahoga Heights High School Principal Scott DeTray. “Being named a National Merit Semifinalist is an outstanding accomplishment, and we are incredibly proud to see him represent Cuyahoga Heights High School at the national level.”

More than 16,000 high school seniors nationwide were named semifinalists in this year’s competition. 

Semifinalists represent less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors and now have the opportunity to advance in the competition for approximately 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $24 million.

To become a finalist, Ni must meet several additional requirements, including submitting a detailed scholarship application outlining his academic record, leadership experience, extracurricular activities, employment and honors. He also must receive a recommendation from a high school official and earn an SAT or ACT score that confirms his qualifying test performance.

More than 15,000 semifinalists are expected to advance to finalist standing. Approximately half of the finalists will ultimately receive a National Merit Scholarship and earn the title of Merit Scholar.

National Merit Scholarship winners will be announced beginning in April 2027, with announcements continuing through July.