Brookfield East High School is proud to announce that nine of its students have been named semifinalists in the prestigious 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Each year, approximately 1.3 million juniors nationwide enter the National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Of these students, only about 16,000 earn Semifinalist status, placing them among the top one percent of high school seniors in the country.

The National Merit Scholarship Program, established in 1955, recognizes and honors the academic accomplishments of students who take the PSAT/NMSQT. As semifinalists, these students have demonstrated outstanding academic abilities and will now advance to compete for finalist status and potential scholarship awards in the spring.

“This recognition serves as a testament to the academic and human excellence that exists within our student body,” reflected Andy Farley, Principal of Brookfield East High School. “These students are leaders at East and we will continue to change the world in the years to come.”

The semifinalists from Brookfield East High School are:

• Isha Girish
• Gavin Longley
• Aditi Moorching
• Tabitha Orange
• Alexandra Orejuela
• Isabella Sandroni
• Elizabeth Schmidt
• Ethan Zhang
• Jake Zheng
   

Each semifinalist will now have the opportunity to submit a detailed scholarship application, which includes their academic record, extracurricular involvement, leadership qualities, and a personal essay. Approximately 15,000 finalists will be named in February 2026, and from this group, about 6,930 National Merit Scholarships will be awarded next spring.