Better chances for higher income students with the same qualifications

[PaperChaserPop]

<p>[The</a> Answer Sheet - ‘Chasing’ college acceptance](<a href=“http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/college-admissions/chasing-college-acceptance.html]The”>http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/college-admissions/chasing-college-acceptance.html)</p>

<p>The above WSJ article states:</p>

<p>

There was almost no difference between the acceptance chances of low and high-income applicants with the same qualifications in 1992–but by 2004, high-income students were much more likely than their low-income classmates (80 and 67 percent, respectively) to simply get admitted into a competitive college.

</p>

<p>A 13% difference is statistically significant. Why such a shift since 2004? The economy?</p>

[rocket6louise]

<p>here we go again…another one of these threads</p>

[blossom]

<p>"Taking harder and higher-level courses, especially in math and science, will do more to increase a student’s chances of being accepted to a competitive school than would a higher GPA.</p>

<p>Lower-achieving students could increase their chances from 52 percent to 57 percent if they completed trigonometry instead of stopping math at Algebra II. And if an average applicant was able to pass pre-calculus instead of stopping at trigonometry, his or her chances would have increased from 75 to 79 percent."</p>

<p>Maybe if HS’s could get back to their core mission of teaching the traditional HS curriculum instead of chasing every educational fad to come down the pike we could stop having these discussions.</p>

[nngmm]

<p>

even though many of today’s headlines bemoan how difficult it is for top applicants to get into elite colleges, this report looks at how difficult it is for the average applicant to get into a competitive1, or somewhat selective college. As defined by Barron’s, competitive colleges admit between 75 percent and 85 percent of applicants, most often accepting students ranked in the top 50 to 65 percent of their high school class.</p>

<p>In 2004, the average high school graduate expecting to go to college earned an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.1, scored a 21 on the ACT college entrance exam, and passed math and science courses up through trigonometry2 and chemistry, respectively.

It is pretty obvious that the report is not talking about schools that are “need blind”. So why is it surprising that those who can pay have a higher acceptance rate?</p>

[PaperChaserPop]

<p>

So why is it surprising that those who can pay have a higher acceptance rate?

</p>

<p>Because it says the trend only started sometime after 1994. I was more surprised that it wasn’t like this prior to 1994.</p>