Joey McCabe ’27 Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

Roger Bacon High School is proud to announce that Joey McCabe ’27 has been named a Semifinalist in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing him among the nation’s highest-achieving high school students.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the names of more than 16,000 Semifinalists nationwide on September 9. Semifinalists represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and are among the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

Joey earned this distinction after taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as the initial screening for more than 1.2 million juniors from approximately 20,000 high schools who entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program.

“All of us at Roger Bacon are extremely proud of Joey for being named a 2027 semifinalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program—a true testament to his hard work, dedication, and outstanding academic ability,” said Katie Durstock, Roger Bacon’s Dean of Academics.

The National Merit Scholarship Program is an annual academic competition designed to recognize and honor outstanding students for their academic achievement and potential for success in rigorous college studies. According to NMSC, Semifinalists must fulfill additional requirements to advance to Finalist standing, including submitting a detailed scholarship application, providing information about their academic record and school and community involvement, receiving a recommendation from a school official, writing an essay, and earning SAT or ACT scores that confirm their earlier qualifying-test performance.

Approximately 15,000 Semifinalists are expected to advance to the Finalist level, with National Merit Scholarship winners selected from that group.

About 6,700 National Merit Scholarships, totaling approximately $24 million, will be awarded in the spring of 2027. The scholarships include National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, corporate-sponsored scholarships, and college-sponsored scholarships.

Joey’s recognition adds another outstanding academic achievement to the Roger Bacon Class of 2027. The entire Roger Bacon community congratulates Joey on this tremendous accomplishment and wishes him continued success as he advances through the National Merit Scholarship competition.

Congratulations, Joey! We are proud to call you a Spartan!