The Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) reported on November 6 that three Orange County high school graduates are among the 2026 U.S. Presidential Scholars announced by the U.S. Department of Education on October 27: Sophie Mirae Kim of Huntington Beach High School, Irene Pan of Valencia High School in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, and Suraj Samir Shah of Arnold O. Beckman High School in the Tustin Unified School District.

Who Is Affected by the U.S. Presidential Scholars Selection

The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established by executive order in 1964 and names up to 161 graduating high school seniors each year, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students. According to OCDE, the 2026 class was drawn from more than 6,700 candidates out of about 3.9 million graduating seniors nationwide; about 650 semifinalists advanced to the Commission on Presidential Scholars, which selected the final list. Medallions are expected to be mailed in early December.

The program is a recognition program, not a scholarship. Candidates in the general component are identified by the Department of Education from SAT or ACT scores, or are nominated by a Chief State School Officer or a partner recognition organization; the arts and career and technical education components accept only nominations from Chief State School Officers. Students cannot apply on their own, and schools cannot nominate them directly.

Three eligibility conditions deserve attention:

  • Status: Students must be United States citizens or legal permanent residents by the application deadline. Students on student visas are not eligible.
  • Graduation date: The 2026 program year was limited to students graduating between January and August 2026.
  • Test window and sections: The 2026 program year counted SAT or ACT scores from tests taken between August 2022 and October 2025. SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math scores and ACT English, Math, and Reading scores are used; the writing section is not considered.

What Students Should Do About the Presidential Scholars Program

Make sure test registration information is accurate. The Department of Education identifies candidates from the citizenship, graduation year, and other information students enter when registering for the SAT or ACT. Students who entered information incorrectly, asked the testing organizations not to release scores to outside entities, or gained status after testing may be missing from the candidate list and need to contact the program office to verify eligibility.

Submit complete materials on time. For the 2026 program year, applications, Secondary School Reports, and transcripts had to arrive by 3 p.m. Pacific Time on March 12, 2026. Incomplete or late materials were disqualified, and attaching any additional materials also made an application ineligible. The test window and deadline for the 2027 program year will be set by the Department of Education.

For course and college planning at Orange County public high schools, see the EDUBUS Top 10 Orange County Public High Schools Guide and the Beckman High School Guide. For overall test and college application planning, see the College Planning service.

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