COLLEGE THEN AND NOW: A Quiz for Parents!
An awareness quiz for parents of high school students who are presently engaged in college planning
If you are the parent of a current high school student who aspires to attend college, you likely are a member of the Baby Boom generation (1946-64), or perhaps a Gen Xer (1965-80). Much about the college-planning process has changed in the years since parents attended – which you likely already appreciate!
Take my fun quiz to assess your awareness of changes in the higher education landscape….
Q1: Reason for attendance: In recent years, college freshmen rank increasing their future earning power as a leading motivation for attending college. In the mid-1970s a leading reason was:
A – meeting potential mates
B – joining protests and demonstrations
C – participating in the party scene on campus
D – learning about topics of interest
Answer D: Learning? At college??? What a thought!
Q2: Number of college applications: In 1967 less than 20% of college students reported having applied to four or more colleges. Today the percentage applying to four or more schools is:
A – 12%
B – 30%
C – 56%
D – 74%
Answer C: The average now is 56%; however, some students apply to as many as a dozen or more schools in part thanks to the Common Application.
Q3: Student Rights: Until the early 1970s the in loco parentis philosophy meant that college students were closely monitored by their institutions, and behavior was constrained. Today students have much more autonomy and clearly defined privacy rights. The federal law that protects student privacy is known as:
A – FERPA
B – SPA
C – SHERPA
D – FAFSA
Answer A: The Federal Education Rights and Privacy Act, also know as the Buckley Amendment, was passed in 1974.
Q4: Parental Rights: One result of FERPA is that even parents who are paying for their child’s tuition cannot independently obtain records on their offspring from a college, including grade reports:
A – true
B – false
Answer A: True. Students can sign a waiver at the beginning of enrollment allowing parents to have access to records, although ideally most parents and children will mutually agree on how sharing will be handled ahead of time. Grade reports are now typically posted to students online, via their school email account, and are not mailed.
Q5: Cost of college attendance over time: In 1980 the average cost for tuition, room and board at a four-year public college in the U.S. was $6233, and at a private school was $14,060; by 2009 the respective average costs had risen to:
A — $9500 public/$19,700 private
B — $12,400 public/$24,500 private
C — $14,060 public/$31,267 private
D — $21,000 public/$44,300 private
Answer C: The costs of higher education have increased over 466% since 1986, compared with an overall inflation rate of 107% in the same time period.
Q6: Cost of highly selective institutions: The total cost of attendance at most highly selective private colleges in the U.S. now ranges from $40K to $50,000 and higher:
A – true
B – false
Answer A: Regrettably true.
Q7: America’s most expensive college: America’s most expensive college is Sarah Lawrence, in Bronxville, NY, with a current total cost of attendance (for 2010-11) of $57,556
A – true
B – false
Answer A: Astonishing, but true!
Q8: Rate of increase in college costs: The disproportional inflationary increase seen in U.S. college costs over the last 30 years is exceeded only by the increase in health care costs over the same period:
A – true
B – false
Answer B: False. The costs of a college education have increased at a higher rate than most other costs, including health care.
Q9: Trends in educational attainment: In 1980 68.6% of Americans possessed a high school diploma and 17% had earned a college degree. Today the statistics are:
A – 77% high school diploma/24% college degree
B – 85.7% high school diploma/28.7% college degree
C – 92% high school diploma/34% college degree
D – 95.4% high school diploma/42% college degree
Answer B: It is still the case that less than one-third of Americans possess a bachelor’s degree.
Q10: High School Counselor Caseloads: The American School Counselor Association recommends that student-to-counselor ratios not exceed 250:1; however, the national average is:
A – 300:1
B — 460:1
C — 590:1
D — 1000:1
Answer B: Heavy advisee loads have diminished the amount of help available to students at many schools at a time when a larger and more diverse group is engaged in college planning, but has also given rise to the growing profession of Independent Educational Consulting.
Q11: In the state of Colorado, the average student-counselor ratio is presently:
A — 390:1
B – 450:1
C – 553:1
D – 882: 1
Answer C: Average ratios in Colorado public schools exceed the recommendation, and some schools far exceed it. However, things could be worse; in California the ratio at some schools exceeds 1000:1.
Q12: Independent Educational Consulting profession: At present, what percentage of high achieving high school students nationwide are making use of the services of Independent Educational Consultants (IECs)?
A – 9%
B – 18%
C – 26%
D – 42%
Answer C: IECs work with all kinds of students to provide personalized attention and expand options, including students with learning differences, athletes, under-achieving students, artistically gifted students, etc.
Sources:
The College Board http://www.collegeboard.org/
District Administration: Solutions for School District Management http://www.districtadministration.com/
Forbes Magazine http://www.forbes.com/education/
Higher Education Research Institute http://www.heri.ucla.edu/
Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) http://www.iecaonline.com/
National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) http://www.nacacnet.org/
National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/
National Center for Educational Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/
copyright Lisa L. Ransdell, Ph.D., 2011