Three Alexandria City High Students Named National Merit Semifinalists
Josiah Baldwin, Zoe Foster and Lucy Hunnicutt are among more than 16,000 students nationwide advancing in the 2027 scholarship competition.
Focus keyphrase: Alexandria National Merit semifinalists
Keyphrase synonyms: ACHS National Merit semifinalists, Alexandria City High School scholars, Alexandria student academic honors, 2027 National Merit semifinalists, Alexandria high school achievement
ALEXANDRIA, VA — Three Alexandria City High School students have earned places among the nation’s top academic competitors.
Josiah Baldwin, Zoe Foster and Lucy Hunnicutt have been named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, Alexandria City Public Schools announced on Friday, September 11.
The three Titans are among more than 16,000 semifinalists selected nationwide in the 72nd annual competition. The program recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and the potential to succeed in rigorous college studies, according to ACPS.
Three Titans Advance
The designation is an important milestone in a competition that begins long before senior year. Students enter through the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, commonly known as the PSAT/NMSQT, and must meet additional program requirements.
More than 1.2 million high school students enter the program each year, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Only a small share reaches semifinalist standing.
Alexandria has celebrated this milestone before. In 2020, The Zebra profiled three semifinalists who had been friends since eighth grade, showing how much more there is to these students’ stories than a test score.
ACPS said approximately 95 percent of this year’s semifinalists are expected to become finalists. Roughly half of those finalists will ultimately receive a National Merit Scholarship and earn the title of Merit Scholar.
The Next Step
To advance, semifinalists must complete the finalist application process and meet the organization’s academic and eligibility requirements. Scholarship winners will be announced in a series of national releases between April and July 2027.
For Alexandria, the announcement is more than a line on an academic résumé. It is a chance to recognize three local students—and the teachers, families and classmates who helped them reach this point.
The Zebra Press congratulates Baldwin, Foster and Hunnicutt as they move into the next stage of the national competition.
Source: Alexandria City Public Schools and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
