Friday, February 20, 2009

Higher Education Questions

-How should income, race, legacy, athletics and test scores factor into college admissions decisions?

-If a low-income student, a high-income student and a legacy student have equal test scores, should one be given advantage over the others in being admitted to a college? If so, which one? Why or why not?

-Do employers place too much emphasis on college degrees for hiring and promotion decisions? Why or why not?

-Should private colleges and universities undertake to diversify their student population by income level? Why or why not?

-Should the government offer incentives to colleges and universities to provide access to low-income students? If so, how? If not, why not?

-Should everyone work toward achieving a college degree? Why or why not?

11 comments:

scott said...

1. Yes
2. no not in atmitance, yes in finincial aid.
3. that is the way the game is setup. play by the rules of the game, or become an entrepreneur
4. ...
5. no our goverment has enough to worry about.
6. no college is not for everyone.

LindsyM. said...

1. I think that test scores, income, race, legacy, athletics should be the order of the way that admissions people accept students. I don't think it should matter if your parents went to that school or you are an all star athlete.
2. Yes. I think that the low income student should be admitted before the other students. Just because they have money or their parents went there shouldn't take away from the fact that someone with less resources tested the same as they did.
3. I dont think so. In today's society you almost have to have some sort of college degree to get a good job. Employers are simply pushing employees to further their education.
4. I don't know. I don't think that students should be judged by their financial status. They should be judged by their ability to do well.
5. No it's the colleges job to be willing to accept students no matter what their financial status is. Like I said earlier it should be based on ability.
6. College isn't right for everyone. Some people can't hack it in college and there is nothing wrong with that. Others preform better in trade schools.

Dianna said...

1. Not only does the government fund colleges but also alumini graduates. Alot of money comes from graduates and helps to provide scholarships, research, development, improvements, athletics for colleges. Not only would it be insulting to not let their legacies in, (with same tests scores and achievements), because of their parents donating money, being a graduate, rising out of poverty or staying out of poverty, but it would stop funding from alot of graduates if they were to find out about their college not showing "school spirit" in a sense. This would also create so many new problems if we were not to keep the wealthy wealthy and educated. I myself dont have parents that have graduated from college, but my aunts and uncles are and my dad owns his own business so that is very movitating for me to succeed in life. I know that applying for college that there will always be factors in admissions requirements for me to attend, but really how many legacies are their applying for colleges every year? Its is really that big of a deal? I guess it will be if I dont get accepted into my first choice. Its not like I want people to stay in poverty and not move into different social classes but things happen for a reason. I know that traveling abroad to other colleges is becoming very popular, maybe our children will one day move themselves overseas for their education.

Dianna said...

2. For most minimum wage jobs I dont think that education has much of an impact on hiring. Most people that work minimum wage jobs dont plan to rise out of their social class, this means more money for the employer. They dont have to train as many people over the years because people get stuck in ruts and dont really move from job to job for the most part, this equals more money. Training workers is a huge expense at some places. Another reason I dont think minimum wage jobs really hold education high is because minimum wage workers have to work twice as hard and have a drive usually or bills or baggage that needs tending to, this means them working more at whatever shifts, this means more McDonalds open all night making money at the cost of their employeers. "If your made to feel unworthly enough, you may come to think that what you're paid is what you are actually worth", Nickel and Dimed written by Barbara Ehrenreich. (My new favorite book of 2009.) With less people moving from job to job companies can be stable, open longer, make employees work for their money by giving them minimum wage and probably without benefits or retirement all these "little things" equal more money for the rich while hurting their customers as a whole.

Dianna said...

Oh, I almost forgot, if employeers were to really hold education at a high level, we would not see statics rising that more illegal immigrants are working in the US undocumented. That is a whole another subject to deal with...but some of the scary things I would think that come with undocumented workers are they are more likely to commit crimes,(for example selling drugs, murders, stealing, rape, etc.) because they are not documented and dont feel as if they have a connection to our country and will not get caught. The undocumented workers that are causing many problems in the US are wondering around commiting crimes and cauing chaos in our cities. Though, the ones that are here leading good America lives are getting a bad reputation because of them and are affected by not being seen as equals, this means lost opportunities....

Dianna said...

3. As I said in question number one, I think that certain requirements should be imposed in determining acceptance into college. Everyone college is different. Though, if a low income student out ranks a high income student, then they should be admitted into the college before the other. I dont think that race should be a factor, if it is then which one so I can check the box.

Dianna said...

4. Of course it would be great if the government helped even more than they are with college expenses that low income students are challenged to meet. This would be mean more colleges being built in American and more people would be able to get an education and this would create new jobs for our society and not just the normal professors that would teach at the college. Each new business that grows needs different levels of educated workers at its place. An college graduate is not going to want to be a janitor and a low educated worker will not be able to be the finicial advisor... With more people getting degrees from college this will mean more competition to survive and succeed in the world because they will be expected to graduate college and have will have to make their own success if they want to stand out from others.

Dianna said...

5. I would say yes to have everyone achieve some sort of college degree or from a trade school. Not everyone will have determination to even apply and probably only half will graduate, even though it would be great to think that everyone could be well educated. Maybe over many decades that will become a possibility and everyone will join hands and sing songs together. =)

Barry W. said...

i think that these posts are very good.. people take time to do these and they are well written.. except for scotts.. no offense

Dianna said...

Barry true dat!!! John's posts are so awesome and very insightful...

tonya said...

some people are horrible when it comes to taking test, im personally horrible at taking tests, its hard when looking for colleges that base most of whether you get in or not on your test scores. they need to be apart of it but i think income should maybe more of a concern. someones going to pay for your college, you or the government, the schools need to know what they are up against