Grades

What happened to higher education. Back in the 1950’s universities like the Ivy league, Stanford and MIT accepted students based on academic performance. This meant that students from elite high schools and student who took advanced placement (AP) courses would have an advantage. Thus, when they were in college they competed against other students with rigorous training. After affirmative action started in the 1970’s, students with less vigorous training were admitted. This made it difficult for students who came in, having taken less strenuous course work, to compete. Studies are mixed on this, some showing it had little effect and other showing higher drop out rates. Professors were uncomfortable with the new admissions because they witnessed students having a difficult time. One result was grade inflation. In the early 1990’s Harvard students received an A grade about 25% of the time and today that is 60%. Teachers responded to struggling students by lessening the work loan and offering higher grades. Companies hiring Harvard grads are coming to understand that they no longer have the same academic abilities they had thirty years ago.