Signing Day: News item from a parallel universe

Prep scholars grow up in a flash
Kelly quick
to praise
new smarts
Science positions are bolstered

For years, the University of Cincinnati academic program has had a difficult time recruiting enough brilliance to allow the Bearcats to compete successfully with some of the nation’s big-time programs. But UC academic coach Brian Kelly believes he made a breakthrough in that area with his 2008 recruiting class.

“We added innovative skills in the cutting-edge sciences,” Kelly said Wednesday as he introduced UC’s 4,150-scholar class on national letter-of-intent signing day. “The depth of insight in the history and philosophy majors I think is first-class and national in terms of its scope. We’ll see how they develop, but coming in they have the intellectual ability to change society for the better.”

Meanwhile, Academic Championship Series national runner-up Ohio State signed 6,160 scholars on signing day, but the Buckeyes must wait to hear from one of their most coveted recruits – a ballyhooed high school physicist from Western Pennsylvania who has been compared to Stephen Hawking. “I’d like to take more time and be fair to all the professors who spent a lot of time recruiting me,” he said.

Even so, Ohio State’s class ranked in the top 10 by ScholasticRivals.com. “A fine blend of brilliance, intellectual curiosity, discipline and needs highlights this group of 6,160 young people with great character,” OSU academic coach Jim Tressel said.