Merit Scholar Process Questioned

But the process used by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation might give students from certain states an advantage over their peers, according to a study recently conducted by Parents United for (Washington) D.C. Public Schools.

The minimum PSAT score required for students to be named National Merit Scholar semifinalists is determined on a state representational basis, said Gloria Ladendorf, NMSC assistant director of public information.

She said the number of winners is chosen in proportion to the state's graduating seniors compared to the national number.

But some officials say they think the NMSC's selection process for semifinalists is unfair.

Each state has a different cutoff score. For example, it takes a lower score for a student in Mississippi to be named a semifinalist than for a student in Maryland.

"I don't think it's that fair at all," said Steve Turner, a guidance counselor at Jordan High School in Durham. "It seems to me that there should be a national score."

The scholarship program, in its 48th year, was set up to represent students nationwide and to not have a disproportionate number of semifinalists from a certain state, Ladendorf said.

North Carolina had 392 semifinalists for the 2001-02 school year, while there were about 16,000 nationwide.

The PSAT score cutoff for the state is 214.

Despite their concerns over the selection method, few doubt the scholarships are beneficial to students. "It's really quite an honor for one of our students to get (a scholarship)," Turner said.

"I think our whole country benefits from scholarships for higher education," said Don Berger, head of school at Cary Academy. He added that he is comfortable with the fact that it's more difficult to be a semifinalist in some states. "The scholarships help promote higher education in this country, and that's what's important," he said.

Amy Anderson, a spokeswoman for the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics, said the scholarship is important to students because it offers them a variety of opportunities.

But Ladendorf said the selection process is unlikely to change. She said that in the program's 48-year history, it has not had any significant problems. "It has worked for us," she said.

NMSC officials expect the organization's scholarship money to come to about $30 million this year. Ladendorf said, "Our goal is to recognize academically talented students."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.