68 San Ramon Valley Unified seniors named National Merit semifinalists

San Ramon Valley Unified said 68 of its high school seniors have been named semifinalists in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program. The district announced the count from Danville on Sept. 9.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation identified more than 16,000 semifinalists nationally in what is the 72nd year of the program. The district said its 68 sit in the top 1 percent of California's senior students.

"We are incredibly proud of their achievement and the way they continue to challenge themselves to pursue excellence," Superintendent CJ Cammack said in the announcement. He also credited the teachers, families and school communities behind the students.

Students qualified through the PSAT/NMSQT, which the district gives to all juniors. Reaching finalist standing takes more than the test score, and the district said winners are selected from the finalists in the spring of 2027.

The district did not break the 68 down by campus, so the figure covers all of its high schools rather than any one city. San Ramon Valley Unified serves about 28,500 students across Alamo, Danville, San Ramon and parts of Walnut Creek and Pleasanton, which is why the district number is wider than a San Ramon number would be.

It was not the only Tri-Valley announcement that week. Dublin High School named ten of its own seniors semifinalists in the same national release.

For seniors, the recognition lands in the middle of early college applications. Finalist notifications go out in the months after, and the scholarships follow in the spring.