Seventeen Sycamore High School seniors earned National Merit Semifinalist honors, placing them among less than 1% of high school seniors nationwide.

The district announced the semifinalists Tuesday, Sept. 22. Sycamore High held a recognition ceremony for the students.

The 17 semifinalists are Sunav Adhikari, Margaret Carman, Denis Chernov, Abinav Dinesh, Micah Gastrich, John Knapschaefer, Lee Yin Leong, Kiran Makkad, Matteo Meli, Farzana Shaik, Walter Telford, Tanika Venu, Tanuja Venu, Muxiao Xiao, William York, Andrew Zhong and Maya Zilch.

The students qualified by posting top scores on the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). About 1.2 million students entered the competition, according to the National Merit Scholarship Program. Fewer than 1% advanced.

Sycamore's group was among the largest in the Cincinnati area. Cleveland.com's statewide list identified Sycamore alongside Walnut Hills High School as Ohio schools with notably large semifinalist classes. More than 16,000 seniors nationwide earned the distinction.

The recognition adds to a string of academic markers for the district. Sycamore earned a 5-star rating on the 2025-2026 Ohio School Report Card, placing it in the top 10% of more than 600 public districts statewide. Five of the district's seven buildings earned individual 5-star ratings, according to the state report card. Niche's 2026 rankings placed Sycamore in the top 2% of districts nationally with an A+ overall grade, ranking it No. 5 in the Cincinnati area and No. 10 in Ohio.

The semifinalist announcement comes as Sycamore heads toward a Tuesday, Nov. 3 ballot issue. The board of education approved a combined 6.95-mill property tax levy for operating expenses and permanent improvements at its June 9 work session. The Hamilton County Board of Elections listed the levy on its Sept. 15 election notice.

The district is hosting a "Community Conversations: Just the Facts" series of informational sessions on academics, programs and finances ahead of the vote. Session details are available on the district's website.

The 17 semifinalists now advance in the competition for roughly 6,700 National Merit Scholarships worth about $24 million, to be awarded next spring.