Admissions Academy Blog

Grade Inflation and Student Expectations

•  Posted by Sarah Ziegler on March 17th, 2009 in Academics, Articles of Interest
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Inside Higher Ed recently highlighted new data about grade inflation published by former Duke professor Stuart Rojstaczer, founder of http://www.gradeinflation.com/ and the College Ranking Service. His recent findings, expanded to include an assortment of large and small, public and private, highly selective and less selective institutions across the country, show that average GPA’s have been rising at virtually all of the 70 colleges that were sampled. Private college average GPA’s rose almost 7%, from 3.09 in 1991 to 3.30 in 2006. Public college averages rose almost 6%, from 2.85 to 3.01. At some highly selective institutions, average GPA’s now top 3.5. Mr. Rojstaczer argues that these persistent increases cannot be explained fully by a corresponding increase in the quality of college-bound students, as average SAT or ACT scores have not kept pace with increased grades.

This issue of rising grades, and what grade inflation means to the rigor of higher education, is also connected to changing expectations among college students. The New York Times reported that students increasingly expect to be rewarded for their effort, even if that effort doesn’t produce an average or above-average product. The articles quotes a senior from the University of Maryland as saying, “If you put in all the effort you have and get a C, what is the point”? Some students, accustomed to earning high grades throughout their K-12 classes to gain admission to college, fear that low grades will prevent them from gaining admission to subsequent graduate programs.

See the full data for over 180 colleges’ average GPA’s here, and about Princeton’s efforts to curb grade inflation here.

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University of Chicago’s Dean to Step Down

•  Posted by Sarah Ziegler on March 5th, 2009 in Articles of Interest
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The Chronicle recently reported that the University of Chicago’s admissions dean, Theodore A. O’Neill, will be stepping down in June. O’Neill has been an active figure in college admissions, speaking at national conferences about trends in college admissions, and advocating for holistic, rather than numerically-driven, evaluations of applicants. His essay “You Must Re-Member This” in Lloyd Thacker’s book College Unranked: Affirming Educational Values in College Admissions, and his actions in shaping Chicago’s infamous “Uncommon Application” reflect his work against the artificial packaging of students, and against the “hype” and stress so often associated with selective college admissions.

Read the full article here and an excerpt from Lloyd Thacker’s book here.

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Meeting the Needs of the Needy

•  Posted by Kathy Chi on March 5th, 2009 in Articles of Interest
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College costs have long been on the rise, and in the midst of today’s difficult economic times, it is no surprise that families feel intimidated by their ability to afford a higher education. Faced with diminished endowments and reduced budgets, schools are under pressure as well.

However, there is hope. President Obama is moving forward with plans that involve significant improvements in federal aid programs, including more funds for Pell Grants, expanded work-study, and bigger tax credits. Furthermore, the Federal Family Education Loan Program might soon be replaced by direct federal student-lending, which should provide greater stability and reliability for both students and educational institutions.

But what about the here and now? Higher education could become more accessible than ever in the future, yet some families are in need of immediate relief. Fortunately, most colleges have already started taking steps to ensure that financial aid for current college-bound students will remain intact.

It is hard to predict what will happen as the recession continues, but the commitment to meeting students’ financial needs should remain unchanged.

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