ASU broke a school record this year by wooing 186 National Merit Scholars to campus - whether that's a good thing, is up for debate.
"[Scholars] tend to be very well-rounded individuals who bring a lot to the University," said Sarah Auffret, a spokeswoman for ASU. "These students add to the energy of freshman classes."
Robert Schaeffer, public education director for the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, said the large recruitment could be a bad thing.
"National Merit Scholarships are a scam," Schaeffer said. "It's [for] test takers."
Schaeffer said the National Merit Scholarship Corporation puts emphasis on standardized testing above overall performance during high school.
To earn the title of a scholar, students must earn a semifinalist spot with their PSAT score. Finalists must have a strong academic record, a recommendation from the school principal and an SAT score comparable to their PSAT.
The winners are chosen from a second look at all the previous criteria.
ASU feels views such as Schaeffer's are narrow, Auffret said.
"National Merit Scholars are not chosen only on SATs," Auffret said. "[They make] it seem as if it was one single criteria to bring in these scholars."
Schaeffer said he believes the rankings promote a bidding war between universities.
"[Universities] are doing it just to buy bragging rights," Schaeffer said.
The amount of money offered to scholars by ASU isn't a just distribution of aid, Schaeffer said.
ASU offers scholars $21,500 a year if they are from another state and $12,500 a year for natives to cover tuition, room, board and books.
"These scholarships go largely to kids who don't need them," Schaeffer said.
Dusana Schnell, an international business and Spanish sophomore, said she believes the scholars are receiving too much money.
"I don't think they should be concentrating such a high amount of funding to [scholars]," Schnell said. "I don't even really like the idea at all. It's just giving money to people based on a couple of tests."
Schnell said she feels some resentment toward the University because she was only offered a University scholarship totaling $2,000.
Recruiting has increased greatly, with only six incoming scholars in 1991, she added.
Last year, ASU recruited 155 Scholars and had the third-highest number of recipients in the country out of public universities. Rankings for this year will be released later this fall.
Kelly Strickler, a psychology freshman and National Merit Scholar, said ASU and Purdue University were the only schools that heavily recruited her when she was going to high school in West Lafayette, Ind.
"I got a full-ride scholarship," Strickler said of her ASU financial aid. "Everyone comes here because it's great financial aid.
"The amount of money was definitely the deciding factor on going [to ASU]."
Auffret said the flat rate of financial aid offered to Scholars catches their attention long enough for them to see all ASU had to offer.
"I think it's a commitment the University has made," Auffret said. "President [Crow] believes this is an important thing to do in drawing very strong students to ASU.
"We are trying to improve our academic reputation - we don't disagree with that."
Reach the reporter at: matthew.g.stone@asu.edu.
