Posted on 06/12/2006 3:55:21 PM PDT by G. Stolyarov II
AACRAO reports that about 400,000 students - 2 percent of all college students, 3 percent of students attending community colleges, and 4 percent of students in fopros - do NOT have a high school degree!
But, how can they get in without a high school degree, and what difference does it make anyway?
Well, they can get in with a GED, of course, but that is not the case here. These students get in by old-fashioned 'fudging.'
I have had students in my classes at the fopro where I teach who did NOT have high school diplomas.
NO! I didn't let them in. They were there when I showed up to teach the class.
Admission representatives are trying to make 'target numbers,' so invariably finger-pointing is directed at them and their bosses. But that is not always and maybe not even usually the reason.
There is also lying. Students say they have a diploma or GED and 'promise' to submit proof later. One thing leads to another, and later becomes never.
It is estimated that in NY about $29 million in grants and loans is given to about 13,000 students without high school diplomas each year.
When those students pay that money back at 8-17% interest, it adds up to big bucks. Students without high school diplomas are NOT supposed to be eligible for grants and such.
In the end, it always comes down to money, no?
At the school where I teach, record keeping and record tracking is getting better. If a student doesn't show us the diploma or equivalent, we show them the door.
Why does it matter? It's not like a diploma means the bearer thereof actually knows anything, like how to read and write, or to do simple math. And it's not like universities are in the business of reducing their own revenues.
My (physician, radiologist) brother has no high school diploma or GED, and no Bachelor's. He does have his MD, which is his only academic credential. As for me, I have a HS diploma, a Master of Science (telecommunications & IS management) and an MBA, but no Bachelor's.
My bad. When I read the headlines, I this might have been about another Afghanistan student at Yale.
Actually an MD is considered a professional degree, not an academic one.
I know. He actually is quite proud of his success despite his lack of normal credentials. Unfortunately, he contracted hepatitis C from an ER patient. Interferon treatment caused an uncorrectable blood clot and disabling subclavian steal syndrome, that forced his retirement several years ago.
These days he sits at home and listens to Err America on the internet daily, and constantly sends me internet items touting socialized healthcare.
Your poor brother. When you hear stories like that I makes you thankful for any good health you might have.
It's interesting that your brother has no h.s. and no college degree but got into medical school. How did he do that? How did you by-pass the college degree to get two masters degrees?
For him: After several years of "sex, drugs, rock and roll" (emphasis: drugs) he finally bounced off the gutter, cleaned himself up and learned a trade - medical tech. That led to getting a nuclear medicine tech certificate, and after he got tired of following orders, his application to medical school at U.C. Davis. Due to his wasted years he was the oldest applicant by several years, and was admitted to avoid any accusation of discrimination. He graduated with honors, and went to UVa for his residency in interventional radiology.
For me: I flunked out of MIT in 1960 after 3 years, then entered the army for 3 years, then worked for IBM for 31 years at various jobs. In 1985 I took advantage of IBM's tuition reimbursement and took several business oriented classes at a local college - all A's.
In 1986, the college initiated their first graduate class, a lockstep program leading to a MS in telecommunications and IS management, and asked me to apply. I skipped the first year out of sheer terror at the prospect, but they persisted, and I joined the second cohort. I received that degree (4.00 GPA) in 1989, and a "piggyback" MBA (4.00, again) in 1991.
Of all of their graduate students, I hold the records for both the highest graduate GPA and the lowest undergraduate GPA. Both are unchallengeable, because they no longer award the MS and I would not qualify for admission today.
I retired from IBM in 1995 and did consulting and contract work, which was extremely lucrative, for several years.
I have considered a doctorate, but at 66 no longer feel the urge to pursue such a long-term project, particularly since my wife is just recovering from breast cancer and our older son died less than a year ago. I did teach managerial economics to MBA students for 5 semesters, and enjoyed it, but many of my students did not because I was very demanding.
We are comfortable financially, have guaranteed lifetime access to medical insurance, and no responsibilities. Our younger son lives two states away, is married with no children, and Emails about once a month. Last year I was president of the local Mensa (high IQ) group, and am still an officer but carry little responsibility there any more.
I have been deeply depressed for several months, perhaps due to the circumstances of our son's death, which was devastating to me. I never wanted anything more than to make him breathe again, but my efforts were in vain. I take Zoloft and have seen a counselor several times, but still feel headed down hill.
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