Alabaster, AL – A Thompson High School senior has been named a semifinalist in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Gavin Poirier has been identified by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) as a student who shows exceptional academic ability and potential for success in rigorous college studies, according to the corporation.
There are approximately 16,000 semifinalists across the country being considered for the 72nd annual scholarship program, which will award nearly $24 million to 6,700 high school seniors in the spring. Ninety-five percent of the semifinalists are expected to reach the “finalist” category; half of those students will earn a scholarship and the title of “Merit Scholar.”
More than 1.2 million high school juniors across roughly 20,000 schools entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program upon completing the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) to serve as the preliminary screening. Comprising under one percent of seniors nationwide, the roster of Semifinalists features the top-scoring participants within each state. State quotas for Semifinalists are determined proportionally based on their share of the country's overall graduating class.
Finalists’ names will be announced in February followed by the winners’ names being released April through July.
On behalf of Alabaster City Schools and Thompson High School, we congratulate Gavin on this exceptional achievement.
For more information, visit www.nationalmerit.org