I walked into work Saturday morning and found a print copy of an artile titled Elite Colleges Reporting Record Lows in Admission. I work in a Learning Center that is currently offering free SAT tests to the surrounding High Schools in an attempt to increase participation in the SAT/ACT prep programs. This article boasts that acceptance rates at Elite college are at a record low another approach the writer and the schools could emphasis is College Applicants Reach Record High.
As having a education, especially a college education, is becoming more and more important to being sucessful, doesn't it only seem natural that more and more students would be applying to colleges? It should seem obvious that Colleges and Universities aren't going to accept more students just because more are applying. If Havard can only accept 1,950 freshmen, Harvard will only accept 1,950 Freshman. There is a cap for a reason, to name a few: class sizes, residences hall restrictions, and other general resources.
It isn't that the elite are becoming more elite, it is some of our schools are churning out more and more higher achieving students. More kids are applying to more colleges, more kids have 4.5 GPAs and perfect test scores - and all of these kids want to go to Ivy Leauge Schools.
This country has a fantastic way of spinning news into the negative. I think it is great that elite colleges have record qualifying students applying to their schools. This means WE'RE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT!
In light of NCLB and how our schools are failing (they are) shouldn't we be revelling in the fact that a record number of students are applying to college - isn't this a good thing? Why are Universities and the media focusing on the negative. Schools are failing yet college applicants are off the charts. The way in which they choose to title this article would lead you to believe that because schools are failing there is a record low in college admission. But that is not the case, RECORD NUMBERS APPLY TO COLLEGE.
We should be proud, we should be commending our teachers, there should be more colleges and universities becoming highly competitive institutions of learning, we are raising the bar!
No, instead we scrutinize teachers, hold them accountable for test scores mostly out of their control, leave them out of the decision making process, and make teaching a profession that 60% of people leave within their first 3 years.
Thats right NY Times, you focus on the negative to bring in those readers. You skew your numbers to fit your headlines. Don't challenge common believe about our school systems, you condemn them like everyone else.
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4 comments:
I agree with a lot of what you said. I remember reading, a long time ago, about not as many people getting accepted to Ivy League schools because there were too many applicants.
I think that a lot of schools are raising the bar, and programs like the AP classes are helping students get those amazing grades and GPAs.
But at the same time, I know that La Salle is having problems with admissions. The Dean of Admissions resigned (at least that's what they called it). Why is it that the Ivy Leagues, those seemingly unattainable places, have to turn down too many people, while schools like La Salle don't get enough?
Elizabeth, actually this year we apparently had a record (don't hold me to that) amount of applicants (over 6,000). I am not sure if it is a record but I was talking to a woman in admissions the other day and she was saying how they were overwhelmed by the amount of applications they got this year.
i think it's that ivy league schools get so much hype - i'm not saying that they are not good - but some of the best doctors, teachers, scientists, accountants, phsychiatrists etc. have not gone to ivy league schools. however, in high school i think you get so encouraged to go to these schools because they "are the best" and you'll make something of yourself by going to these schools. i think la salle's a great school and i love the education and opportunities they have provided for me thus far. i don't think i would have enjoyed going to an ivy league school, but that's just my opinion.
I applied to Dartmouth - as a complete joke. I knew I wouldn't get in, I didn't have the GPA, SAT scores, or nerdy clubs to get in. It was a long shot, but I thought it would be hillarious.
I like to tell people they didn't even bother with a rejection letter, they just called and said "Hi, this is Dartmouth, about your application HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" and hung up.
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