When Are National Merit Semifinalists Announced?

National Merit Semifinalists are typically announced in early to mid- September of students’ senior year of high school. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) makes the official public announcement around this time, though many students first learn of their status through notifications from their high schools.

Typical Timeline for Semifinalist Announcement

  • PSAT/NMSQT taken: October of junior year
  • Scores released: Usually December/January
  • Semifinalists announced: Early–mid September of senior year
  • Finalists announced: February of senior year
  • Scholarship winners announced: March through June of senior year

For the current cycle (Class of 2027, who took the PSAT in fall 2025), the Semifinalist announcement is expected in September 2026 , consistent with the long-standing schedule. Recent school district announcements (e.g., Cobb County in September 2025, Round Rock ISD, Clark County, and others for the Class of 2026) all align with this early-to-mid September window.

How Students Find Out

  • High school notification: Most Semifinalists are informed by their high school counselors or administrators before or around the time of the public release.
  • Public announcement: NMSC issues a press release and publishes a list of Semifinalists (often by state and school) on its website and via partner education news outlets.
  • Online portals: Some students may also see their status updated in their College Board or NMSC-related accounts once the data is released.

What Happens Next After Semifinalist Status

If selected as a Semifinalist (about 16,000 students nationwide, representing roughly the top 1% of PSAT takers), the next steps include:

  1. Complete the Semifinalist application by the mid-October deadline. This includes academic records, an essay, and a recommendation.
  1. Await Finalist decisions , typically announced in February. About 94% of Semifinalists advance to Finalist status.
  1. Scholarship notifications roll out from March to June , including:
    • National Merit $2,500 Scholarships (March)
    • Corporate-sponsored awards (April–May)
    • College-sponsored awards (May–June)

TL;DR

National Merit Semifinalists are announced in early to mid-September of senior year. For students in the Class of 2027, expect the announcement in September 2026 , with school notifications often preceding or coinciding with the public release.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.