College Board Meeting To Discuss Monro Plan

Representatives of 150 colleges--including Harvard--will discuss the proposal for a clearing house to determine scholarship need at the Wednesday meeting of the College Entrance Examination Group in New York City, it was learned yesterday.

The colleges will study the idea of John U. Monro '34, Director of the Financial Aid Center, to end abusive competition for promising secondary school students among colleges.

The College Board Group, however, is not expected to take any final action at its Hotel Biltmore meeting next week.

This is the second recent announcement about college studies concerning the Monro plan. Tuesday it was learned that the reorganization move had been discussed by 14 New England colleges at a Brunswick, Maine, meeting, and that a three-man committee including President Pusey had been appointed to investigate the proposed change.

College administrators so far contacted have been favorable to Monro's suggestion.

Committee Met in Cambridge

Monro originally proposed the plan at a College Board symposium last spring. At that time administrators seemed interested and a committee was organized to study the idea.

The committee met in Cambridge about two weeks ago. It recommended to the College Board executive committee that a special group be appointed to study the issue further.

The decision on a special committee will be brought up at Wednesday's meeting. The College administrators are expected to pass it without controversy, however.

Wilbur J. Bender '27, Director of Admissions, will probably represent the College at the meeting.

The present proposal calls for the colleges to form a set method of determining financial need. Possibly a clearing house would be instituted to set the amount required by the individual student.

Dissatisfaction with the present bickering over students prompted the interest in reorganization. Administrators feel this pressure has caused colleges to overlook financial need in an attempt to get geographic distribution and possible future "Who's Who" members.

But the College Board is mainly studying the idea rather than examining any one set proposal. It may eventually employ a completely different system to meet the same problem.

Tufts' Comments

Together with Pusey on the New England College committee are Dartmouth president John Sloane Dickey and Amherst president Charles W. Cole.

Pusey and Dean of the Faculty McGeorge Bundy have stated the College's position on the proposal as "Harvard agrees that it's something we want to go ahead on."

Of all the presidents contacted the only even slightly dissenting voice was that of Tufts acting president Nils Y. Wessels. Wessels however, praised the Monro proposal, stating that there "has been too much competition."

"We need good students and we should aid students, and there should be some agreement," he said.

"But scholarships should not be awarded totally on need," he added.

"I'm not so optimistic as some administrators, because I don't want too much regimentation.

"But a central clearing house would be good for assembling information.

"But I definitely do not want all the colleges to offer the same amount to a boy. Need should be important, but it should not be the only concern," he concluded.

Tufts is a member of both the College Boards and the New England College group.