On 6 Dec 2001 11:34:20 -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Dennis Roberts) wrote:
>generally speaking, it is kind of difficult to muster sufficient evidence
>that the amount of grade inflation that is observed ... within and across
>schools or colleges ... is due to an increase in student ability
>
>i find it difficult to believe that the average ability at a place like
>harvard has gone up ... but if so, very much over the years ...
>
>if anything, selectivity has decreased at some of these top schools due to
>the fact that given their extremely high tuition ... they need to keep
>their dorms full and, making standards higher and higher would have the
>opposite effect on keep dorms filled
Given the huge number of applicants for a limited no. of spots in the
freshman class, I doubt if Harvard worries too much about keeping the
dorms full. Secondly, many of Harvard's academic superstar recruits
are on scholarships (from a vast endowment) nullifying, at least to
some extent, the economic hardship on many families. Harvard's cachet
alone may override economic considerations. There may be schools
where lowering admission standards to keep the dorms filled is indeed
the case, but I doubt if Harvard is among them.
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