13 Cooper Seniors Named Commended Students 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program

The honored students are Imoni Ahmad, Emma Angelkov, Athan Chee, Sophia Chin, Colson Collins, Jaila Groppe, Zachariah Jefferson, Arcadio Leon Del Rivero, Katherine Lin, Carlos Sepulveda, Solomon Tadlock, Yohan Vaz, and Aizah Zaidi.

"These students represent the curiosity, commitment, and love of learning that we hope to inspire in every Cooper student. We are incredibly proud of what they have accomplished and of the many ways they contribute to our School community," said Dr. Stephen Popp, Head of School.

Commended Students are recognized for exceptional academic promise based on their performance on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The 13 Cooper seniors are among approximately 34,000 students nationwide receiving this distinction in the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program.

"National Merit recognition is a meaningful reflection of the academic dedication these students have demonstrated throughout their high school experience. We are proud to celebrate this achievement along with the intellectual curiosity and engagement these students bring to Cooper every day," said Laura Schroder, Director of College Counseling.

Each student will receive a Letter of Commendation from The John Cooper School and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) in recognition of this achievement.

Approximately 1.3 million students entered the 2027 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2025 PSAT/NMSQT. Of those participants, NMSC identified the 50,000 highest scorers for recognition. Approximately 34,000 of these high performers were named Commended Students based on a nationally applied Selection Index score.

The recognition reflects The John Cooper School's mission to provide a challenging education in a caring environment, preparing students to be critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators, responsible citizens and leaders, and lifelong learners.