Twenty-nine seniors at Allen D. Nease and Ponte Vedra high schools earned semifinalist spots in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, accounting for more than half of St. Johns County's 46 honorees.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the semifinalists Sept. 9, selecting roughly 16,000 students from more than 1.2 million juniors who took the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The semifinalists represent fewer than 1% of U.S. high school seniors, according to the St. Johns Citizen.

Nease led the county with 22 semifinalists, and Ponte Vedra High had seven.

Nease High School's 22 semifinalists

Maria Gabriela Allen, Daniela Aristiguieta-Salcedo, Jackson Baker, Dhruv Battula, Tu Chi Bui, James Emilio, Elian Farah Pena, Evie Gibbons, Timothy Gorelik, Colin Janik, Yana Kovaleva, Sophie Liao, Luke Malloy, Parmis Molavi, Ethan Moy, Diya Nair, Charita Parvathaneni, Ishaan Rao, Trevor Ruiz, Amogh Subramanian, Muhammad Mahdi Talha and Arielle Thompson.

Ponte Vedra High School's seven semifinalists

Purva Bhide, Jackson Bohsali, Bryce Brodsky, Jack Feather, Samuel Marty, Patrick Neal and Aryaman Singh.

Semifinalists at other county schools

Beachside High School had eight semifinalists, Creekside High School had five, Tocoi Creek High School had two, and Bartram Trail and St. Augustine high schools each had one.

What happens next for semifinalists

The 46 semifinalists will compete for approximately 6,700 scholarships worth nearly $24 million, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. To advance, students must submit a detailed application, maintain strong grades, earn a school recommendation, write an essay and post qualifying SAT or ACT scores.

The corporation will notify finalists in February 2027. Scholarship winners will be announced on a rolling basis from April through July 2027.