MERIT SCHOLARS SPEAK WELL FOR THE UNIVERSITY

Southeast Missouri State University earns high marks for its fall class of National Merit scholars. The university has been making a concerted effort the past two years to recruit academically talented students. That work has paid off.

This fall the university will welcome 38 merit scholars from 14 states. Including returning students, the university will have about 50 merit scholars on campus this fall. The growth in numbers the past two years has been impressive. Last year, 13 merit scholars attended Southeast. Prior to that, only three merit scholars had chosen Southeast in the school's history.

There are about 14,000 National Merit Scholarship finalists. These are the best and brightest students - basically the top 1 percent of high school graduates. The quest for this national designation is highly competitive.

Why recruit National Merit scholars? Part of it is prestige. It boosts the university's academic reputation. The number of merit scholars also says something about your academic program. Top-notch students typically receive the greatest number of university and scholarship offers. Choosing Southeast underscores the university's academic standing.

But this effort also carries a price tag. Southeast gives merit finalists full-ride scholarships. That's more than most schools, which offer between $250 and $2,000 a semester. Last year, the university also sweetened the pot by providing each merit finalist with a computer and printer in their residence hall rooms - paid by the Southeast Missouri University Foundation. These students also receive stipends for academic projects, and for the purchase of books and supplies.

The competition for top-notch students is fierce. Even with full-ride scholarships, the brightest high school graduates simply aren't going to settle for low-grade universities. The fact they're choosing Cape Girardeau says a great deal about the quality of Southeast's programming.