Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges
Who's Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges or also known as Who’s Who Among Students, is a nationally recognized and well regarded honors programs in the United States of America. It has been compiling its list since 1934. Participants include 2,842 tertiary institutions across 50 states and the District of Columbia. It continues to have respect among college faculties and administrations. It produces an annual Who's Who in list which is an academic publication that compiles a list of the top students in the United States. Students are honored based on outstanding campus leadership, scholastic ability (includes a GPA requirement), leadership on and off campus, and community service. This program was designed to ensure academic recognized regardless of a student's financial ability to participate.
Selection Process
This list does not solicit individuals. Institutions are allocated a number of nominee slots. Faculty, administration and student body committees in each institution nominate a select number of undergraduate and graduate students for this honor annually. Names of nominated students are often published in the newspapers of the students hometowns. It is important to note that there are no financial obligations in terms of initiation cost, service charge or membership fee to the nominated student.
Scholarship
Selected students in Whos who also have a chance to win an academic scholarship that is offered by the organization.
Publisher
Who's Who Among Students in American Universities is an independent publication founded by H. Pettus Randall II founder of Randall Riley Publishing. It is not affiliated with the bankrupt Who's Who Among American High School Students that went out of business in 2007, Who’s Who Registry of Academic Excellence: Middle School Edition,National Dean's List, or Marquis Who's Who from other publishers.
Criticisms of Whos Who Among Students
Some have argued that the list was once a respected list but that the criteria to be nominated has decreased over the years and is losing its exclusivity.
Criticism About Whos Who Lists
Due to the number of Whos Who lists that charge in order to list individuals, over the years, many Whos Who lists face public criticisms over their legitimacy or are considered Whos Who scams because of their business model which is usually that inclusion criterion is the students willingness to buy the book. Many also solicit individuals. Fee based models of Whos Who lists have tarnished the reputation of longstanding organizations like Who's Who Among Students in American Universities who do not solicit nor have a fee based model and do not require students to buy books
Notable Whos Who Alumnae
- Matthew M. Urquhart ‘2009
- Laila Macharia, ’92 Kenyan Entrepreneur
- Monica Lynn ‘99