Hewlett High School seniors named National Merit semifinalists
David Balzac and Ivan Reznikov are among about 16,000 students nationwide in the 2027 program.
Hewlett High School seniors David Balzac and Ivan Reznikov have been named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, the Hewlett-Woodmere school district announced. They are among more than 16,000 students nationwide, less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, selected for the 72nd annual competition.
Selection was based on their performance on the 2025 PSAT/NMSQT. Semifinalists now compete for roughly 6,700 scholarships valued at about $24 million. To advance to finalist standing, they must maintain a strong academic record, receive a school endorsement, complete a scholarship application and essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm their qualifying test results.
About 95 percent of semifinalists are expected to reach the finalist level. Scholarship winners will be announced beginning in April 2027.