3 ms·

This mindset is ultimately what many universities are optimizing for. The credential is pretty meaningless if it can simply be purchased, people will catch on

by lumost 6y ago

This mindset is ultimately what many universities are optimizing for. The credential is pretty meaningless if it can simply be purchased, people will catch on quickly enough. The ideal business is then one that actively inflates the credential's value while lowering the difficulty of achieving it. The best way to do this is to increase selectivity/restrict supply, raise prices, lower difficulty (grade inflation), and increase the time required to get the credential, while providing alternate activities for those who are inclined to do something other than receiving an education. Heck you can get degree credit by virtue of living in a foreign country via a study abroad program. The other activities a university may participate in like research, or educating only matter to the extent they enhance the "prestige" of the credential or to benefit the minority of students who value academic rigor more so than the credential.

Balgair 6y ago
> The best way to do this is to increase selectivity/restrict supply, raise prices, lower difficulty (grade inflation), and increase the time required to get the credential, while providing alternate activities for those who are inclined to do something other than receiving an education. A mission that the Ivies are well on their way with. The average grade at Harvard is a 3.67 (as of a 2013 source) and the prices have never been higher (though that's an individual thing, what with scholarships). They only need to make it a 5 year program with a MA/MS tagged in to get really going; degree-inflation hopped onto grade-inflation and dollar-inflation. Somehow, you then have to work Ultimate Frisbee or chess in there too, an athletics-inflation and club-inflation (?), so to speak. Kinda like Laurie Laughlin's daughter did with the varsity-blues scandal for admissions. I'd guess that's already happened then. What do you end up with besides an empty savings account? A 22 years old with a very good resume and a very bad taste in beer and jazz. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/12/9/stats-grade-inflation/ https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/12/9/stats-grade-inf...

by lumost 6y ago

Balgair 6y ago

> The best way to do this is to increase selectivity/restrict supply, raise prices, lower difficulty (grade inflation), and increase the time required to get the credential, while providing alternate activities for those who are inclined to do something other than receiving an education. A mission that the Ivies are well on their way with. The average grade at Harvard is a 3.67 (as of a 2013 source) and the prices have never been higher (though that's an individual thing, what with scholarships). They only need to make it a 5 year program with a MA/MS tagged in to get really going; degree-inflation hopped onto grade-inflation and dollar-inflation. Somehow, you then have to work Ultimate Frisbee or chess in there too, an athletics-inflation and club-inflation (?), so to speak. Kinda like Laurie Laughlin's daughter did with the varsity-blues scandal for admissions. I'd guess that's already happened then. What do you end up with besides an empty savings account? A 22 years old with a very good resume and a very bad taste in beer and jazz. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/12/9/stats-grade-inflation/ https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2013/12/9/stats-grade-inf...