During this year's freshman convocation, Ted Spencer, director of the University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions, said, "I can say without hesitation that this year's class is more actively engaged and academically well-qualified than any other class in the history of the University of Michigan." It is unlikely, though, that most of these promising freshmen will leave the University as highly distinguished as they should be. The University is not doing enough to make sure highly qualified students get the assistance they deserve in applying to renowned scholarships such as the Fulbright and Rhodes programs.

The University has recently stopped interviewing undergraduate students for the prestigious Fulbright program, citing a high volume of applicants and not enough resources to assist everyone. At this time there are nearly 300 students who have expressed interest in applying for the program, and the number who will actually apply is expected to far exceed the 100 that applied last year. But because of the lack of staff at the International Institute, only graduate applicants will be interviewed.

Because the Fulbright is such an elite program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, students who are not interviewed by the University (and therefore do not receive University endorsement) are left at a disadvantage, even though the University says otherwise. This issue is emblematic of other similar problems facing the University.

The high number of Fulbright applicants speaks greatly to the potential of the University's student body, but unfortunately the administration has not done enough to cultivate that potential. The International Institute, for example, has added one temporary worker to assist in preparing the Fulbright applications for this year, but obviously more needs to be done. Every applicant is no longer interviewed because the interviews must be conducted in a short span of time, and the institute still does not have the staff to handle that.

Such lack of resources in adequately preparing students for awards and scholarships leaves the University far behind top private institutions. With the University's large student population, faculty members don't often get the chance to work closely with students to seek out especially gifted individuals and refer them to top fellowships and scholarships.

On the other hand, faculty members at Harvard and Yale interact more closely with students and are trained to identify, recruit and guide students into applying for prestigious scholarships such as the Marshall, Mitchell and Rhodes. As a result, Harvard and Yale students regularly comprise nearly 40 percent of the annual list of Rhodes Scholars.

This disadvantage as compared to Harvard and Yale could be understandable considering the size and state funding of our large public institution. However, that excuse doesn't apply, given that even Michigan State University has had more Rhodes scholars than Michigan since the 1970s.

Right now, the University sends a mass e-mail to students with at least a 3.7 grade point average notifying them of informational sessions in January and February about applying for eminent awards. The publicity for these awards must start sooner, and the University must do more than just send a mass e-mail. The applicants are often required to obtain various recommendation letters and go through a series of interviews if they are selected as finalists. In order for our students to be better prepared to compete for these scholarships, we have to get them on track earlier.

The University should bring in a few specialists to handle specifically these esteemed grants and scholarships. This is the approach taken by schools that consistently lead the country in winners of such awards. These individuals would train the applicants into putting their best application forward. Obviously resources would be required to bring such people in, but if the massive interest in the Fulbright program this year is any indication, these resources are a necessity.

We can't keep losing to MSU in an academic category.