Eleven students from Eden Prairie have been named semifinalists in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing them among the nation’s top high school seniors recognized for academic performance.
Ten semifinalists are from Eden Prairie High School: Yuqin Cao, Gwendolyn Glasrud, Kotono Kazama, Jingyi Ling, Vivian Nguyen, Eshaan Salunke, Devanshu Shah, Syon Shetty, Ojas Sonbarse, and Alexander Wycoff.
From the International School of Minnesota in Eden Prairie, Zyva Iqbal was also selected.
They join more than 16,000 students nationwide who qualified as semifinalists, representing less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. About 95% are expected to advance to finalist standing, with roughly half of those earning scholarships next spring.
The scholarships – totaling nearly $26 million – will be awarded between April and July 2026. The National Merit Scholarship Program, established in 1955, has recognized about 389,000 students since its inception.
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