The author, Frank Bruni’s, main argument was that college admissions were being too selective in their process, and that they were looking into the wrong details from the student. He talks about how there will be a report coming out in the very near future from top administrators like Yale, M.I.T. and the University of Michigan, that is called “Turning the Tide”, that will point out the flaws within the admissions process of top schools. The author thinks that, “Focused on certain markers and metrics, the admissions process warps the values of students drawn into a competitive frenzy.” Not only does it bring out unhealthy competitiveness, it gives and unfair chance to kids who come from less fortunate backgrounds. The report coming out outlines, “Less emphasis on standardized test scores, which largely correlate with family income.” Also he explains how colleges should be less focused on how many AP classes a student takes because poorer high schools may not even be able to offer AP’s. The author
I see this as a way to give anyone a chance for an education if they want it. That way instead of worrying how to pay for college you can worry about getting the grades that a college needs to beat this crazy admissions process. In my personal opinion I agree with the author. I believe that the college process should be fair to everyone even if you are less fortunate. A lot of the times colleges focus on your SAT score or that one bad grade you got that year and I don’t believe that information alone is enough to understand a student. Some people might just be bad test takers but colleges wouldn’t know that and just judge them on the one bad test they took. I strongly agree with everything he is arguing especially because I see how competitive the college process has
In his essay, "Why Colleges Shower Their Students With A’s,” Staples claims that student grades are increasing for the wrong reasons, causing college degrees to become meaningless. Staples provides evidence that average grades have increased significantly over the last several decades, but claims that it is not because students are working harder. The real explanation for grade inflation, he argues, is the effect of grades on both students and their professors. Teachers give more A’s to receive better evaluations and increase job security. Students give more importance to their grades as a result of the rapidly increasing cost of a college education. Staples argues that modern
...hat parents want a better and easier way of life for their kids. My parents send me to college so that I could make more money doing an easier job than they have to do, because they lack a college diploma. She feels that eighteen-year-olds should make their own choice whether to go to college or not. I think that when a person is eighteen, they are too young to make their own decisions. I know this from my own experience. If I had a freedom of choice when I was eighteen, I would not be writing this critique, because I would not be in college. But now that I have grown up and did some thinking I want to stay and get my degree. I feel that kids should at least try college, learn and see a couple of things and then decide whether they should stay or go. Generally, parents without a college education are the ones who put the most emphasis on their kids going to college and making something of themselves, in order to have a better life then they had. The author then goes on to challenge her own ideas by saying that college does prepare you for a job that you actually might like doing, and that is what most Americans want. So then would not college be a good choice for most Americans?
Over the course of the recent past, universities across the U.S. have been faced with decisions on admissions. What was once popular, affirmative action, is now fading with a long past of problems, and new programs are entering into the picture. The University of Dayton and many others are taking actions to improve the standards of their students, regardless of race and background. These new concepts are reflecting higher academic progress, and increase in prestige and national reputation. By basing selection on academic ability and incorporating improved recruiting techniques, the nation would be filled with greater college standards and no use for an old and tiring affirmative action process.
Applying to college in the United States of America can be a long process consisting of many requirements. College admission requirements have been changing for centuries “in order to ensure that the full range of talent that an institution is capable of developing is properly represented in the student body” according to Andrew Beale in his article “The Evolution of College Admission Requirements.” During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries admission was granted based on ones “ability to read and translate Latin and Greek.” By the time the 1950s surfaced, there was an increase in standardized exams which soon adopted environmental and nonintellectual factors by the 1960s, Beale writes. As we know, there should be a fair playing field
In “Is the College Admissions Bubble About to Burst?” Lindsey Cook (2014) discusses about why students are having hard time applying college. Cook expresses that high school students are concentrating too much on enrolling into the college. Two main issues in her idea that I want to discuss are that college application processes are too competitive and
In the article “College is Not a Commodity. Stop treating it like one,” Hunter Rawlings explains how people today believe that college is a commodity, but he argues that it’s the student’s efforts; which gives value to their education. Rawlings states that in recent years college has been looked at in economic terms, lowering its worth to something people must have instead of earn. As a professor Rawlings has learned that the quality of education has nothing to do with the school or the curriculum, but rather the student’s efforts and work ethic. Rawlings explains the idea that the student is in charge of the success of his or her own education, and the professor or school isn’t the main reason why a student performs poorly in a class. Rawlings
There is a huge achievement gap between students from different economic background and it is continuously growing. As proof, Professor Reardon, a Stanford University sociologist, conducted a study which showed that the gap of standardized test scores between high-income and low-income students had grown by about 40% in comparison to the 1960s. Colleges are currently facing a growing
Reeves argues that open admissions are unacceptable and four-year universities should require higher standards for access. He believes these higher standards will increase student work ethic in pursuit of a higher education. Reeves states that the younger generation is expected to attend college; therefore, colleges are allowing open admissions which can be catastrophic to the intellectual growth of America’s youth. He says that student attitudes toward education are ill-mannered and is influencing a lack of attendance, cheating, and grade inflation. Reeves claims that the student ability is questionable, due to the fact that college students lack literacy and the educators are expected to give undeserving grades. He also believes that diversity within college is damaging the overall performance record and it is increasing the amount of illiterate students. Reeves says that the solution to making college access harder is to get rid of open admissions and to persuade more students into the “more-practical solution” such as a “secure enrollment in a community college” or training in
(Owen and Sawhill 208) After all, if our country’s leader is preaching about college being a good thing, it should reflect the views of a majority of people in this country. They then continue to try to make connections with the audience by emphasizing that this is a “we” problem and by recognizing that the decision to go off to college is not an easy one for everybody. These first words in the essay demonstrate a call to the ethos of President Obama and clear cut pathos to bring the authors down to the same level as their audience; However, the rest of the essay is absolutely dominated by
...he United States. With funding for this policy, there came a desire to prevent student loan interest rates, for college students, from increasing further. This goal is in the favor of college students who are, working towards, or who are hoping to work towards, an affordable degree. However, feedback from teachers throughout the country suggest that the aims of the policy itself are not effectively resulting in higher test scores and are instead causing greater problems within schools. With all of this being addressed, one could determine that the total effectiveness of Obama’s Race to the Top reform is limited in its successfulness on improving the United States education system. Despite this, future policies should continue to be implemented in an active attempt towards making necessary adjustments to the problems centered around the United States education system.
The author Charles Murray says there are too many people going to college without really saying it. The essay is written in a way that his audience will understand by the time they finish reading that he has many valid points. He Persuades his readers with facts and counters arguments to false stereotypes involving college and success. By questioning whether college is for everyone makes "you" the reader want to rethink if your time spent in college was really worth it in the end.
Leonhardt begins his argument optimistic about college acceptance rates compared to decades ago. Propaganda like “college is for you, too” banners throughout high schools showing all the amazing benefits, yet doesn't show the down sides of colleges. The author is pleased knowing college graduation rates are low. Leonhardt thinks it is abysmal on how colleges don't nourish you through the course of study and how these poor students lack resources the school should
According to Mr. Henry, the United States educates nearly thirty percent of high school graduates who go on to a four year bachelor’s degree. He believes that the increased number of graduates has led to a workforce of mediocrity. In the author’s comparison to other leading countries, the United States has academic standards and achievement requirements which do not directly insure that this nation’s youth are job ready with a four year degree. Mr. Henry’s theory states that the United States as a whole needs to restrict college admissions to only half of those who would seek degrees. In the essay, the author is of the opinion that by reducing the number of degree seeking students, a nation can improve quality and the value of a college education. To decrease the quantity of students would in the long run increase the quality of education. The author sees the necessity of restricting higher education to include only those who have demonstrated at an early age in the educational process the ability and ambition to pursue a higher education. In his opinion, following this process would allow only the more intelligent or ambitious of students into college, therefore assuring a competent post graduation workforce. Would severely limiting admission achieve the steep goals the author believes it will?
Thirdly, college selection systems are designed to admit most students on the basis of what they know already (after all, the purpose of high school is to prepare you for college). If the selection system was actually accurate or efficient, they would have chosen students who already knew the material that was required, thus not needing to take
Our education system is one of the most respectable, reputable and sought after commodity's in our society, but it is also the most over crowded, discriminatory, and controversial system ever established. Most people yearn for a higher education because it's what's expected in this society in order to get ahead. It means a better job, more money, power, prestige and a sense of entitlement. But this system has let down the children that are supposed to benefit from it. Education discriminates against minorities, and poorer class students are not expected nor encouraged to attain a higher education. The education system is set up to ensure that every child get a basic education, but there are many boundaries and social settings that make this almost impossible to achieve. To many students the thought of higher education is just a dream that seems unattainable, but with positive affirmation we can help all children excel. First, we have to recognize the problems associated with the school system then maybe we can work to resolve them.