Editor’s note: The Daily Orange Editorial Board met with Syracuse University administrators to discuss the Invest Syracuse initiative unveiled in July. This editorial is the first in a four-part series based on that discussion. You can read more about Invest Syracuse here.

Buried in the sweeping scope of the Invest Syracuse initiative is the proposal of a small, seemingly unproblematic scholarship opportunity. The program is targeted toward high school valedictorians and salutatorians and aimed at bringing hardworking community leaders from across the country to Syracuse University.

But the scholarship is not as simple as it seems, and it’s something SU should workshop further before implementation.

Administrators had good reason to back up this proposed scholarship. Standardized tests like the SAT are riddled with racial and gender biases. They’re also generally criticized in higher education, said Dolan Evanovich, senior vice president for enrollment and the student experience. This program wouldn’t take those scores into account.

But the idea that this scholarship wouldn’t judge students based on scores is misguided. Some high schools factor in statewide standardized exams when calculating GPAs, which determine which students top the class.

The very idea of targeting valedictorians and salutatorians comes with logistical flaws. Some schools crown multiple valedictorians, and others have abandoned the term. Students at these schools could be overlooked under this kind of scholarship through no fault of their own.

Students who do graduate with these titles likely don’t have a hard time finding scholarships. Printing “valedictorian” at the top of a college application looks promising by anyone’s standards.

This type of program, which appears to be strictly merit-based on the surface, neglects students who may not have the means to be a valedictorian or salutatorian. Students who have to work or who live in an unstable home or community are at a disadvantage to those who are more privileged. These students could have ended up the top of their class, but it’s more likely they didn’t — and worked just as hard.

This simply isn’t in line with SU’s goal of bringing diverse voices and faces to campus. Administrators said the program could attract students from underrepresented areas of the United States and from varying socioeconomic backgrounds. But there’s no language in the proposal indicating it will. Meanwhile, SU has cut awards such as the POSSE scholarship, which was proven to promote diversity on campus.

As it stands, this program is too broad to work effectively. Only evaluating students based on their place in the academic hierarchy of high schools neglects every other aspect of the student experience. A student who’s excelled at the routine memorization of high school exams won’t necessarily contribute as much to a college campus as a well-rounded critical thinker.

A similar merit-based award on SU’s campus, the Coronat Scholars program, follows a rigorous process to determine recipients. It’s resulted in a diverse set of scholars who often make a name for themselves on campus.

With a well-defined selection process, a scholarship for valedictorians and salutatorians could be just as successful. If SU implements this program, it should ensure a diverse pool of recipients by recruiting students who might not have considered a private university with a hefty price tag.

But the root of the problem is that valedictorians don’t necessarily become the assets this scholarship makes them seem to be. A study from Boston College tracked 81 valedictorians after graduation and found that while they typically received above-average grades and earned above-average salaries, they didn’t do anything to “change” the system because they “work best within” it.

High school grades don’t define how hard a student will work in college. And they certainly don’t matter when it comes time to find a job. Being valedictorian is certainly not a detriment, but it isn’t a formula for success either.

The Daily Orange Editorial Board serves as the voice of the organization and aims to contribute the perspectives of students to discussions that concern Syracuse University and the greater Syracuse community. The editorial board’s stances are determined by a majority of its members. You can read more about the editorial board here.

Published on September 24, 2017 at 10:59 pm

Contact: opinion@dailyorange.com