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The funny thing about viewing this in an economic sense, is that the Universities aren't the ones selling college to kids, the parents are! They're the ones who paint a picture in the heads of their children about college: whether good, bad, neutral...
Peer pressure does come into play later, along with one's own plan for one's self.
Exactly. For many, junior/community colleges have a negative connotation which I can say there are enough true stories to continue the stereotypical community college student. That said, there are many a good ones but we typically a victim of looking to extreme cases.
Better in what way exactly? Help me understand why you believe stricter admissions policies would improve matters.
I have worked in academia for 12+ years and each year the "talent" pool gets more diluted. It is very apparent seeing it first-hand. Schools want the money and for the most part they don't mind lowering standards to get it. Lax admissions practices let a lot of students in who shouldn't be there in the first place. These students tend to take longer to finish their degree if they finish at all. Many of these same students are racking up extreme loan bills along with majoring in areas of study that are not marketable in the job market.
As it is, everybody and their mom can go to college, as a result, student debt is insane and lots of people are just dumb and shouldn't be in college at all. What if there were far stricter requirements, say only the smartest most intelligent people were allowed to go to college? Kind of like how it was back in the day?
First of all OP that is discrimination.
Second of all colleges already have a system. You fail, you can go to another college. It is your money and your funds. Average drops is another way. Also Bachelor colleges can expel/bar a student. Some faculty might even use bypasses that are illegal to do this.
My biggest problem are professors who are racist and screw-up in the skulls themselves. You have professors not making any real income using the system to get a job. I am talking about the four major subjects. Personally when I am in college I avoid, Latino, older, women, and black professors all together. It just seems like they are not interested. However this is proven untrue to be honest and sometimes I will admit to be a terrible student.
Another problem is the books. Some of these books have mistakes and even the professor notes these mistakes. To make matters worst some students are not for the all together. Some students are selfish and only be kind to get ahead. I have seen too much discrimination which discourage people from continuing there major.
I don't know that it was only the wealthy who went to college back in the day. My great grandparents immigrated to the US from Germany without an education. They had a farm in Wisconsin. They raised 4 boys and a girl and insisted they all go to college, even though they didn't have the means to pay for it.
My grandfather ended up getting a PhD from NYU and became a professor, and two of his brothers became medical doctors. It was definitely persistence rather than wealth for them.
I don't know that it was only the wealthy who went to college back in the day. My great grandparents immigrated to the US from Germany without an education. They had a farm in Wisconsin. They raised 4 boys and a girl and insisted they all go to college, even though they didn't have the means to pay for it.
My grandfather ended up getting a PhD from NYU and became a professor, and two of his brothers became medical doctors. It was definitely persistence rather than wealth for them.
My grandfather was born in 1906.
So... we've all got the same question... how was it paid for, if he didn't have the means?
As an aside, I also thought that less people went to college a few decades ago, but I was just exposed to a bias growing up because none of my family had. Some families, even in the 70's, everyone went to college.
So... we've all got the same question... how was it paid for, if he didn't have the means?
As an aside, I also thought that less people went to college a few decades ago, but I was just exposed to a bias growing up because none of my family had. Some families, even in the 70's, everyone went to college.
I went to college in the early 60s. It was a lot less expensive (tuition was $1300 a year at my school and room and board was another $1300) and I did not go to an Ivy or other prestigious school. There were scholarships. I had a free ride as my high school councilor recommended me to his alma mater. I transferred around because I got married after my sophomore year. At that point, I did lose the scholarships since married women were not considered for those at that time. Still I managed to graduate in 4 years without debt.
Education is a business now, so relaxing rules for entry increases their bottom line, but also could hurt their ability to attract good test takers.
The "old" colleges still get to be selective, with their ever-burgeoning candidate pool, and the "new" for-profit "franchise" universities bag the floor sweepings as long as you have loans or cash.
Not to insult those who didn't get into college. I'm one who DELAYED going to college, and, now that I have the time and willingness to attend (my employer pays for it) I cannot get into the university of my choice (it's a state school, relax) because the academic profile of freshmen has how RISEN so much that my grades that qualified me 13 years ago, now, do not.
Average GPA went from 3.0 to 3.74
Average SAT went from 1150 to 1320 out of 1600.
What in the... is it "standard" to just get all A's now? Is it the weighted classes? What gives?
The "old" colleges still get to be selective, with their ever-burgeoning candidate pool, and the "new" for-profit "franchise" universities bag the floor sweepings as long as you have loans or cash.
Not to insult those who didn't get into college. I'm one who DELAYED going to college, and, now that I have the time and willingness to attend (my employer pays for it) I cannot get into the university of my choice (it's a state school, relax) because the academic profile of freshmen has how RISEN so much that my grades that qualified me 13 years ago, now, do not.
Average GPA went from 3.0 to 3.74
Average SAT went from 1150 to 1320 out of 1600.
What in the... is it "standard" to just get all A's now? Is it the weighted classes? What gives?
To your 2 questions. Yes and Yes.
Grade inflation in high schools now is rampant due to many factors all discussed at length on this site. Throw in all the weighted courses and the comparison of your GPA vs TODAY'S GPA is totally skewed. The admissions department at many of these schools first compare computer data and spend little time actually evaluating applications. On the spread sheet your GPA didn't measure up and you don't have special "talents" that the university desires (your not a jock or your daddy's not a big doner for instance).
I think colleges by and large have their admission standards set pretty fair. What I would like to see more of is them pushing academics more once the students enter college. If you screw up the first semester, academic probation. Screw up the 2nd semester just as bad, you're either gone and heading to community college (if it's real bad) or given 1 final semester to bring your GPA up to respectable. If you get your act together there at Community College and graduate, should you choose, then you can get a shot at heading back to the university system knowing that if you screw there again, you're permanently toast.
Grade inflation in high schools now is rampant due to many factors all discussed at length on this site. Throw in all the weighted courses and the comparison of your GPA vs TODAY'S GPA is totally skewed. The admissions department at many of these schools first compare computer data and spend little time actually evaluating applications. On the spread sheet your GPA didn't measure up and you don't have special "talents" that the university desires (your not a jock or your daddy's not a big doner for instance).
I think colleges by and large have their admission standards set pretty fair. What I would like to see more of is them pushing academics more once the students enter college. If you screw up the first semester, academic probation. Screw up the 2nd semester just as bad, you're either gone and heading to community college (if it's real bad) or given 1 final semester to bring your GPA up to respectable. If you get your act together there at Community College and graduate, should you choose, then you can get a shot at heading back to the university system knowing that if you screw there again, you're permanently toast.
Knowing how easy AP English was my senior year, I would have taken more AP classes. We had a girl graduate with a 5.2 GPA because all honors classes were 5.0 for an A and AP were a 6.0-weight. I heard that this is going away, but with some universities requiring a 4.1 (obviously weighted) GPA for some programs, I don't see that happening.
My plan now is to get up the 30 SHC required to transfer (at a community college) and use that GPA.
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