There is no relation between academic achievement and achievement in extra curricular activities among highly able students, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation reported recently, For Merit Finalists studied since 1956, performance in extracurricular science, art music, Cramatic and "leadership" activities varied independently of performance in courses.

In addition, correlations were quite low between academic ability measured before college and academic performance in college.

The summary of research findings in the 1963 annual report of the NHS Corporation said that measures of students interests, perseverance, and drive were better predictors of achievement.

"Preference for Institution"

Different types of personalities resulted is different achievements, the Corporation confirmed. For example, "unpublished writing was predicted by a variety of measures of creativity and originality, and by a preference for imagination and institution over facts and careful reasoning. Unpublished writing also tended to be corrected with achievement in other artists areas.

"Publication, on the other hand, was related to measures of drive and social dominance and leaded to be correlated with leadership."

Students on the effects of different kinds of colleges reveled that attendance at a "relatively selective college" reduces a students' chances of high achievement.

"The likelihood that a male student will pursue a career is science after college appears to be increased by attendance at either a technological institution or a co-educational liberal arts college, and to be decreased by attendance at a northeastern college for men," according to the report. "The likelihood that a female student will pursue a career in science after college" appears to be decreased if the students a relatively selective college."

Classes entering technological institutions far outranked other entering classes in intelleotualism and progmations, the report said. Private nonsectarian library arts colleges ranked highest in eatheticism status, and leadership.

Harvard has 247 Merit Scholars among its alumni and 344 currently enrolled, more than say other colleges.