On September 9, the National Merit Honors Society announced the semifinalists for this school year. These are students who entered the 2027 National Merit
Scholarship Program by taking the 2025 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

St. Thomas is thrilled to announce that three of our Eagles have earned this distinction: Phineas Anello, Anton Joshy, and Cole Weatherly. More Eagle students earned Commended distinction, thanks to their high scores on the Qualifying Test.

Additionally, 383 St. Thomas students took 804 exams across 20 different AP subjects in 2026, more than doubling the number of exams taken in 2025. Of that group, 138 students earned one of College Board’s AP Scholar awards.  50 students were named AP Scholars, meaning they earned a 3 or higher on 3 or more exams; 20 students were named AP Scholars with Honor by earning a 3 or higher on 4 or more AP exams; and an impressive 68 students were named AP Scholars with Distinction by earning a 3 or higher on 5 or more AP exams. Three members of this group, Zack Moser, Augustus Walcik, and Samuel Noser (all ’26, were the first STH students to earn an AP Capstone Diploma. This distinction requires a student to earn a 3 or higher in AP Seminar and Research, along with a score of 3 or higher on four additional AP Exams.