Scholars not a measure of academic strength
To the editor,
Well, the numbers are in - UA has more National Merit and Flinn Scholars than ASU and NAU, according to a March 26 Wildcat article. Obviously that makes the University of Arizona superior, right? I don't think so.
National Merit Scholarships are based on PSAT scores, tests taken as a high school sophomore or junior, a standardized test whose scores most modern educators would argue are reasonably arbitrary. I am not saying that these students aren't an asset to the university, but rather that they are not an asset to the university because they are Merit Scholars.
The Flinn award is significantly more elusive, awarded on a set of criteria more highly guarded than that magic envelope on Oscars Night. It is a very substantial award, giving the recipient a full ride to a state university, with additional stipends for books and travel.
Now, it seems that the nature of scholarships is to be assistive. But it seems that the Flinn award is more along the lines of winning the lottery. If you were offered a winning lottery ticket if you choose to remain in-state for your education, could you turn the offer down? Of course not, and not because the particular educational institution was superior, but because you were going to get loads of money.
Because this particular award is so large, and has no basis in financial need, and often goes to already well-off students, it seems to give its recipients highly disproportional opportunities and advantages, for example the ability to study abroad anywhere, the ability to partake of internships and volunteer positions rather than working during the summer. These "advantages," of course, begin to foster a sense of elitism and academic and financial snobbery.
Therefore, I ask, is the UA and it's Honors Center (College, as some would like to believe) better for attracting these students, or has it become a financially elitist clubhouse operating under the guise of an equal-opportunity institution where academics, not money, are key?
Zachary Neal
Philosophy and Latin sophomore
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