Sixteen Indian Hill High School students earned recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program, the district announced Thursday, Sept. 17.

Seven seniors qualified as Semifinalists, placing them among roughly 16,000 students nationwide competing for approximately 6,700 scholarships worth about $24 million. The Semifinalists are Graham Kruse, Arpad Lallement, Hannah McParlane, Michael Miller, Claire Reeuwijk, Grace Zhang and Victor Zhang.

Nine more students were named Commended: Eli Castenson, Dila Derinkuyu, Tyler Fitzgerald, Mina Hagopian, Zach Holzapfel, Rian Jang, Eric Liu, Aydin Rahman and Claire Wilkes. Roughly 40,000 students across the country receive that designation each year.

All 16 earned the distinction through their performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which juniors take each October. The program is in its 72nd year.

Indian Hill High School enrolls 660 students in grades 9 through 12, part of a district of 2,222 students across four schools. Seven Semifinalists from a single school represents a rate well above the national average: about 1% of high school juniors qualify at that level, according to Compass Education Group. Ohio's Semifinalist cutoff score for the Class of 2027 was 216, down three points from 219 for the Class of 2026.

Principal Andy Gruber called the recognition "an extraordinary accomplishment" in a statement posted to the district website. He said the results reflect years of preparation backed by families and educators, and praised the students for demonstrating "what it means to be a Brave."

Nearby, Madeira High School announced two Semifinalists in the same program cycle: seniors Maya Parker and Luke Pease.

For the seven Indian Hill Semifinalists, the next step is a detailed application covering academics, extracurricular activities, leadership and employment, according to program details cited in Madeira's announcement. About 95% of Semifinalists are expected to advance to Finalist status. Finalist notifications are expected in February 2027, with scholarships awarded in spring 2027.

Families with questions can contact Indian Hill High School through the district website.