Nine Grapevine-Colleyville ISD seniors scored among the top 16,000 of more than 1.2 million test-takers nationwide, the district announced Wednesday, Sept. 9.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) named the students as 2027 National Merit Semifinalists. Fewer than one percent of all entrants earned the designation.
Six of the nine attend Grapevine High School: Sanjay Budda, Rakeen Khondaker, Max Poveda, Carson Ramsey, Margaux Wheat and Darren Yang. Raahin Kassamali and Vladyslav Novytskyi attend Colleyville Heritage High School. Eva Mijares attends iUniversity Prep, the district's online campus.
The semifinalists qualified by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). Only the highest-scoring entrants in each state advanced.
What comes next
More than 15,000 of the roughly 16,000 semifinalists nationally are expected to advance to finalist status, according to the News and Tribune. To move forward, students must submit an application detailing their academic record, school and community activities, leadership and honors. Winners will be announced in phases from April through July 2027 and will compete for roughly 6,700 scholarships worth a combined $24 million.
Yang caps a standout year
Yang's semifinalist nod adds to a run of testing milestones. The Grapevine High School senior scored a perfect 36 on the ACT this summer after previously earning a 1580 out of 1600 on the SAT, the district reported Aug. 31.
"They do a really good job of, like, challenging their students," Yang said of his GCISD teachers in that August profile. "It all comes together and trains our critical thinking."
Yang credited the district's ASPIRE program, PSAT preparation courses and summer camps for building the skills behind his scores. His older brother, Derek, did the same. The 2025 Colleyville Heritage graduate earned a perfect ACT score in 2024.
The semifinalist announcement follows another district milestone. GCISD jumped from a B to an A in the Texas Education Agency's 2026 accountability ratings, announced in August, with an overall score of 91. Both Grapevine High School and Colleyville Heritage earned A ratings and five distinction designations, and iUniversity Prep also earned an A.
