National Merit and National Achievement Scholars are in high demand – and supply – on the ISU campus.

Iowa State ranked seventh among public universities in the nation for enrolling National Merit Scholars and fifth among public universities in the nation for enrolling National Achievement Scholars last year.

Thomas Becker, coordinator for the National Merit and Achievement Scholars Program, said the scholarships are very competitive. High school students take the PSAT and National Merit Scholarship Qualification Test in October of their junior year, he said.

“The percent of students who take the test and go on to receive a scholarship is less than one half of 1 percent,” he said.

Students from Iowa and neighboring states make up the majority of Merit and Achievement Scholars at Iowa State because of its location in the central Midwest, Becker said. Of this year’s enrollees, 60 were from Iowa, 12 from Minnesota, 11 from Nebraska and nine from Illinois, he said.

Seven other Iowa schools enrolled first-year National Merit Scholars, while two other Iowa schools enrolled first-year National Achievement Scholars, Becker said.

In 2001, Iowa State enrolled 110 National Merit Scholars, including about 60 of 230 eligible students from Iowa, he said.

“Iowa State enrolled more National Merit Scholars and National Achievement Scholars than all other colleges and universities in Iowa combined,” he said.

Iowa State’s recruitment of these students begins early, and includes conducting a calling project to reach every finalist in Iowa, Becker said.

“We receive a list of eligible students and then another list of semi-finalists,” he said. “Then we also write to them to see if they’re interested in Iowa State or if they have any questions.”

Students eligible for the merit and achievement scholarships receive mailings about benefits available to them, including paid tuition, room and board, early registration and preferences for housing, Becker said.

“We try to provide them with a look at the options Iowa State has to offer,” he said.

Eligible students are encouraged to visit campus as well.

“We try to provide an individualized campus visit for these students,” he said. “If they want to speak to a certain faculty member or look into honors housing while visiting, we’ll try to accommodate that.”

The high number of scholarship students attending Iowa State speaks highly of those behind the scenes, he said.

Prospective students considering Iowa State may think about the high amount of scholarship recipients enrolled here when deciding which schools to attend, Becker said.

“It is not unusual for recipients of these scholarships to have schools like Stanford, MIT and Northwestern listed as other top choices,” Baker said. “It’s good to know that Iowa State is competing with schools like these.”

Recipients of merit or achievement scholarships are likely to excel in their studies after arriving at Iowa State, Becker said.

“I think these students are highly competitive in the honors program as well,” he said.

Liz Beck, director of the ISU Honors Program, said joining the program provides scholars with another opportunity to excel by working with current members.

“Working with other honors students will pull up the incoming members,” she said.

Freshmen can benefit significantly by being in the honors program their first year at Iowa State, Beck said.

“We know from looking at the freshman program that students will work above their abilities when put with others like them,” she said.