A senior at John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School in Augusta has earned a spot among the top students in the country.
Caroline Moon has been named a semifinalist in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program, placing her among less than 1% of high school seniors nationwide. More than 1.2 million high school juniors from about 20,000 high schools entered the competition by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Semifinalists are the highest-scoring entrants in each state.
“Caroline’s achievement reflects the dedication, curiosity and commitment to excellence that we encourage in every student,” said Richmond County School System Superintendent Dr. Malinda Cobb. “Earning a place among the nation’s highest-performing students is an incredible accomplishment, and we are proud to celebrate Caroline as she represents Davidson Fine Arts and the Richmond County School System on the national level.”
Moon now has a chance to advance to finalist standing. To do so, she and a school official must submit a detailed scholarship application. That application covers her academic record, participation in school and community activities, leadership experience, employment, and honors and awards. She must also maintain a strong academic record, receive a recommendation from a school official, submit an essay, and earn SAT or ACT scores that confirm her qualifying test performance.
More than 15,000 semifinalists are expected to advance to finalist standing. Finalist notifications are expected in February 2027, with scholarship announcements beginning in April 2027.
About 6,700 National Merit Scholarships, worth nearly $24 million in total, will be awarded next spring. Winners are selected from the finalist group.
