Six seniors at George M. Steinbrenner High School in Lutz landed spots among the nation's top-scoring students in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program.
HCPS reports 70 semifinalists districtwide
Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) announced Wednesday, Sept. 9, that 70 district students earned semifinalist status. The six from Steinbrenner are Zaina S. Dubey, Denis Kurylev, Abhinav S. Muvva, Sydney G. Rayburn, Owen D. Schousboe and Hudson P. Thompson.
All six are seniors.
Nationwide semifinalist selection process
The semifinalists represent less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. More than 1.2 million juniors at roughly 20,000 high schools entered the 72nd annual competition by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT).
Strawberry Crest leads district with 17 selections
Across HCPS, Strawberry Crest High School led the district with 17 semifinalists and Middleton High School had 13. Steinbrenner, King and Sickles each had six.
Superintendent Van Ayres said in the district's announcement that the recognition reflects the students' sustained academic effort and highlights the opportunities available in Hillsborough County schools.
Four Land O' Lakes students also selected
Four students at Land O' Lakes High School also earned semifinalist recognition, according to a statewide list published by the Tallahassee Democrat: Julian W. Coburn, Narendran Karikkathil, Akaash K. Patel and Khushi R. Talati. Land O' Lakes High is a Pasco County school.
What semifinalists must do next
The six Steinbrenner semifinalists must complete a detailed scholarship application, submit academic records and secure a school official's recommendation. They also need qualifying SAT or ACT scores to advance to finalist standing.
About 95% of semifinalists nationally are expected to reach that stage. Roughly half of all finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship.
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) plans to announce winners in four rounds between April and July 2027. The awards total approximately $24 million across about 6,700 scholarships nationwide.
