For Fayetteville-Manlius High School seniors Yusuf Ay, Ananya Deshmane, Lauren Jones and Daniel Ziadini, a test taken during their junior year has opened the door to a national scholarship opportunity.
The four students have been named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program based on their performance on the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, or PSAT/NMSQT.
According to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, more than 1.2 million students entered this year’s competition. Just over 16,000 earned semifinalist status, a group that accounts for less than 1% of high school seniors nationwide. Students qualify by placing among the highest-scoring entrants in their respective states.
Ay, Deshmane, Jones and Ziadini now have the opportunity to pursue finalist standing. This next stage looks beyond their qualifying test results, requiring an application that details their work in the classroom and involvement beyond it. An essay and a recommendation from a school official are also required, along with SAT or ACT scores that support their earlier test performance.
Students who advance will learn of their finalist status in February 2027. Finalists will be considered for approximately 6,700 scholarships totaling about $24 million, with recipients announced between April and July.
Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District congratulates these four seniors on their achievement and wishes them well as they take the next steps in the competition.
Pictured from left to right are Yusuf Ay, Ananya Deshmane, Lauren Jones and Daniel Ziadini.