<p>Current admission and yield rates are no indicator of what things will be like in 20 years. What were those figures 20 years ago? or just 10? A swing in demand can happen awfully fast.</p>
<p>Spending three years on campus for undergraduate work may seem like a long time in the the model of the future. I envision a time when students may just spend one or two years on campus doing research work, after having completed most of their courses online. Perhaps the way for universities to adapt would be to offer fellowship type programs where kids would work in a small group under the tutelage of a professor in their desired field. Applicants would still compete for such arrangements based on the reputation of the professor they’d be working under. Institutions would vie to offer the best mentors and programs.</p>
<p>Again, this is in a 20-30 year time frame, not five, but I think college administrators should be thinking at least two decades ahead.</p>
<p>(With IB credits, heavy semester loads and a couple of summer courses, my NYU D just graduated in three years. It saved a chunk of money but not a full year’s worth.)</p>
<p>There will always be a demand for going to school " on campus". There is a lot more to a college degree than the strict academics. I’m sure if people really wanted to,they could get the equivalent knowledge at the public library or online for free. Maybe someday they’ll have a GED for college. </p>
<p>What kind of jobs are students who spent their summers going to summer
school getting these days? I don’t know anyone (past freshman year) who does not have a summer internship (most are paid). This is considered to be part of your education and a necessity for landing your first real job.</p>
<p>I guess the 3 year degree will be for the “have nots”.</p>
<p>They already have one, sort of, here in West Virginia. It’s called the Regents Bachelor of Arts degree where you can get credit for a portfolio you turn in outlining your life experience. You still have to have a certain amount of classroom credit, though.</p>
<p>High Point University is very popular in our area, for kids whose parents can afford it. My S’s senior prom date goes there, and we have friends with two children who are graduates. Their D double-majored in business and interior design, got a job right after graduation in Raleigh, NC and has done quite well for herself. Their S, who turned down a good scholarship from the University of Dayton to go there, just graduated last week and is going to grad school for accounting at Wake Forest. So somebody must have a good impression of its graduates.</p>
<p>Years ago I did my BA in Australia- it was a three-year degree. One could add an extra “honors” year if one desired. It’s the same in Britain, I believe, and maybe other European countries. I ended up doing a Master’s in the States and no one has ever questioned the legitimacy of my undergrad degree. My D will be finishing her BA in 3 2/3 years (quarter system). She will be more than ready to enter the full-time working world (she’s already in it)- she’s pretty much done with campus life at this point (fingers crossed of course about getting a full-time position). If some Gen Ed requirements were removed, it would be fairly easy for most students to save a lot of money and time by doing a 3-year degree.</p>
<p>One thing my daughter did after her freshman year of college was a summer language program where she completed her second year of her language. She earned 10 credits; it is was at her home university. She applied for a scholarship for the summer program, which she received. Another good way to get credits for those who are studying a language.</p>
<p>It’s those colleges who are dependent on parents and students who are taking out massive loans that are going to be in trouble. Are they all? I don’t know. What percent of the student population takes out loans or has parents who do?</p>
<p>^^^ Depending on which source you look at, between 48 and 66% of full time college students have student loans, and the average debt on graduation of those who have loans is about $25,000</p>
<p>Does anyone audit how much the administrative costs are? It seems that most administrators should teach at least one course. Who audits university waste? Also colleges should not be allowed to have other students finance financial aid and should have to prove that the athletic programs revenues are covering costs. These 1 mill coach salaries seem ridiculous- my opinion is that private schools can charge whatever the market will bear, but there should be strict oversight of public from someone outside.</p>
<p>Of course, the argument can be made that virtually no schools are truly “private” any more, with the availability of federal financial aid. The feds could very easily establish rules that apply to any college where students get federal aid.</p>
<p>We all hear about the big name athletic universities with the big TV contracts and the packed stadiums and arenas. However, at most colleges, the athletic programs are a major net expense. They need to offer the athletic programs to attract students. The Division III colleges are not allowed to offer athletic scholarships, which does help to minimize their costs.</p>
<p>“So, Baylor University has such a big endowment, yet, gives very little financial aid and loads kids up on loans. That is a little sad I think.”</p>
<p>Two years ago, Wesleyan waitlisted me. I had excellent credentials and matriculated to the University of Chicago instead (which, in my opinion, is a much better school anyway, especially for my interests), where I have continued to do extremely well despite the increased rigor. I would have likely been a full-paying student, because I am one of the few who can afford to pay the full rate. If they had such trouble finding well-qualified, full-paying students, why wouldn’t they have admitted me and others like me? I’m not sure this is really such a problem for them, and it doesn’t seem like that’s the main reason they offer the 3-year degree.</p>
<p>Paroxysms, Wesleyan was need blind for admissions. They just announced they no longer will be. But when you applied, that you were a full pay student did not enter the picture at all in admissions.</p>
<p>Use this search engine by plugging in the name of the university and you will get back a smorgasbord of financial information, including how much is spent on administration:
[Charity</a> Navigator - America’s Largest Charity Evaluator | Home](<a href=“http://www.charitynavigator.org/]Charity”>http://www.charitynavigator.org/)</p>