EDUC 25% of high school seniors NOT going to college Fall 2020 that would've --40% for diversities

[MinnesotaSmith]

TaxProf Blog: Colleges Face Historic Summer Admissions Melt Of 25% Or More, With Higher Rates For Students Of Color

Chronicle of Higher Education, This May Be The Worst Season Of Summer Melt In Memory. Here's How Some Colleges Are Fighting It.: [T]thousands of students [are] reconsidering their college plans, in what many enrollment officials fear will be the worst season of “summer melt” in memory. Some are...

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Tuesday, July 28, 2020

Colleges Face Historic Summer Admissions Melt Of 25% Or More, With Higher Rates For Students Of Color

By Paul Caron


Chronicle of Higher Education, This May Be The Worst Season Of Summer Melt In Memory. Here's How Some Colleges Are Fighting It.:

"Thousands of students [are] reconsidering their college plans, in what many enrollment officials fear will be the worst season of “summer melt” in memory. Some are finding that they can no longer afford their first choice; others are questioning whether an online or hybrid education is worth the price of an in-person one. Some are staying home out of concerns for their health, or the health of family members.

In a national survey conducted this spring, one in six high-school seniors who before the pandemic expected to attend a four-year college full time said that they will choose a different path this fall. A majority expected either to take a gap year or enroll part time in a bachelor’s program (35 percent each), while smaller percentages planned to work or attend a community college.

In Florida, where the outbreak decimated the hospitality and retail sectors, one in four parents of high-school juniors and seniors reported that their child had changed their plans, a separate survey found.

As with many effects of this pandemic, the phenomenon is hitting people of color the hardest. More than 40 percent of minority high-school seniors have said it’s very likely they won’t go to college in the fall, or that it’s too soon to say, compared with 24 percent of white seniors. ...

Cultural factors could also contribute to this season’s potentially historic melt. Latino students, who tend to value close family ties, and often live in multigenerational households, may stay home to protect elderly relatives from infection."

 

[hunybee]

seriously, why would they?!

even before this whole mess, the colleges have become absolute crap. the entire system was that way.

covid has highlighted so many of the problems, and shined a light on many others that were easier to manipulate without the problem of a pandemic around. this has shown them, and people are really questioning how relevant and useful that college degree really is. put it together with the bloated coursework, the inflated costs, and the crapshow of the college loan system.....maybe they are actually using their brains for a change and saying "no".

good.

perhaps the schools will being to clean up their mess and cut the bloat and give people some real value for the money they spend.

 

[Southside]

seriously, why would they?!

Why?
Best 4 year party I ever attended.
Only cost 28K, including summer money,
And got an education way back when.

Today, I don't know that I would.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

It's still about the only way to get a job any more. Yes, yes, there are plumbers and electricians and suchlike, but there are only so many of those slots available. If everyone tries to be a robot repairman, most will never get jobs.

 

[MinnesotaSmith]

I read through the comments at the OP, and here were the two most cogent questions IMO:

1) How many students who DO enroll and attend college in person this fall will say "F this" and leave when they find out that much or most of the nonacademic stuff they hoped to do there is still shut down due to the Coronahoax? It will NOT be a trivial percentage, guaranteed.

2) When facing reduced student numbers and thus reduced tuition receipts, will colleges:
a) keep tuition per student the same (despite providing less to students, both online and in-person enrollees) ,
b) cut tuition per student to try to increase student body count,
c) RAISE tuition per student to cover fixed costs hitting over fewer enrolled students?

Note that NO ONE thought they'd get rid of the unneeded 80% of administrators, 100% of diversity staffers, and pointless nonSTEM departments (many to most of them, esp. all the grievance studies ones).

 

[LawPoet]

"Breaking News" (sarc). "Poll reports 75% increase in number of college age students living with parents." [parody] Fact = e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e is waiting to see what happens through end of year.

 

[Mark D]

My oldest son earned a full ride, so there is no way he's going to skip a year. It also helps that he is entering as a Sophomore. When he graduates he will be light years ahead of his competition.

He has also developed an impressive network (see below), especially for an eighteen year-old, of contacts in the DEA, DOJ, and U.S. House of Reps, so his intern/job prospects already look REALLY good.

He has been back-and-forth to D.C. several times over the last years, as part of a talent search program that is driven by several .gov agencies. He has been diligent to maintain a few initial relationships that have blossomed into what is now a small network. That kid is going places.

I weep for his peers. So many of those "Gap Year" students will never return. It is SUCH a shame. Our nation will be needing driven and educated people so desperately in the years to come.

 

[hunybee]

My oldest son earned a full ride, so there is no way he's going to skip a year. It also helps that he is entering as a Sophomore. When he graduates he will be light years ahead of his competition.

He has also developed an impressive network (see below), especially for an eighteen year-old, of contacts in the DEA, DOJ, and U.S. House of Reps, so his intern/job prospects already look REALLY good.

He has been back-and-forth to D.C. several times over the last years, as part of a talent search program that is driven by several .gov agencies. He has been diligent to maintain a few initial relationships that have blossomed into what is now a small network. That kid is going places.

I weep for his peers. So many of those "Gap Year" students will never return. It is SUCH a shame. Our nation will be needing driven and educated people so desperately in the years to come.

i hate to say it, but they are needed desperately right now. the colleges have pumped out such crap for so long, we are hurting badly in that regard.

i lost count a long time ago that someone complained about the quality of these "highly educated" people coming out of college that were supposed to be job ready.

at this point, i am hopeful that all of this upheaval may make way for restructuring back to sanity in colleges so that actual skills and functional learning happens.

 

[hunybee]

i know it sounds terrible, but when most others around you are so pathetic, just being normal and having an old school work ethic makes you look like demigod.

 

[catskinner]

Our youngest turned 15 a couple of weeks after the schools all shut down. He spent his days at the shop, getting the bulldozers ready for the summer. Yes, he did his school work at night. He learned that he likes welding and has a natural gift for it.

Now he is pushing dirt along side his dad, learning the family business. He starts 10th grade next week. He's not even sure he wants to go to college, but has time to decide. He's a straight A honor student, and college is not at the top of his list. I went to college and it's not all it's cracked up to be, but I wasn't a party animal.

Trade jobs will always be in demand. When your A/C goes out, you don't call your accountant or IT guy.

 

[Intestinal Fortitude]

It's still about the only way to get a job any more. Yes, yes, there are plumbers and electricians and suchlike, but there are only so many of those slots available. If everyone tries to be a robot repairman, most will never get jobs.

yes and many of the trades are now occupied by illegal aliens and their spawn.
However if Americans can get a proper education (reading and writing ) and can think and comprehend...it will help.

 

[FREEBIRD]

Could this be a blessing in disguise? Less indoctrination.

 

[Josie]

It's still about the only way to get a job any more. Yes, yes, there are plumbers and electricians and suchlike, but there are only so many of those slots available. If everyone tries to be a robot repairman, most will never get jobs.

Yes, but how many with degrees in Women's Studies or Art History are working in their fields? A much bigger question is how many will be sponging off of mommy and daddy until they "find themselves"?

All three of my kids went to college and got their degrees (Marketing, Clinic Psychology and Biochemistry). What I would love to have an auto mechanic or plumber in the family!

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Yes, but how many with degrees in Women's Studies or Art History are working in their fields? A much bigger question is how many will be sponging off of mommy and daddy until they "find themselves"?

All three of my kids went to college and got their degrees (Marketing, Clinic Psychology and Biochemistry). What I would love to have an auto mechanic or plumber in the family!

All true. I still remember, though, the 2008 recession, when businesses were actually putting "Must have a bachelor's degree to apply" on a job listing for a janitor.

 

[BeeMan]

It's still about the only way to get a job any more. Yes, yes, there are plumbers and electricians and suchlike, but there are only so many of those slots available. If everyone tries to be a robot repairman, most will never get jobs.

I’d personally rather be an unemployed robot repairman than an unemployed transgender african-american history of dance liberal arts major.

 

[Redleg]

It's still about the only way to get a job any more. Yes, yes, there are plumbers and electricians and suchlike, but there are only so many of those slots available. If everyone tries to be a robot repairman, most will never get jobs.

Bring back OJT and apprenticeship programs. This worked back in the day and would keep employees around a lot longer if they thought it could help move up and make better money. I agree that there are only so many plumber/car mechanic(for example) jobs that an area can support because of population/need.

 

[Redleg]

I’d personally rather be an unemployed robot repairman than an unemployed transgender african-american history of dance liberal arts major.

With no college debt to boot.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

I’d personally rather be an unemployed robot repairman than an unemployed transgender african-american history of dance liberal arts major.

They make about the same, though.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Bring back OJT and apprenticeship programs. This worked back in the day and would keep employees around a lot longer if they thought it could help move up and make better money. I agree that there are only so many plumber/car mechanic(for example) jobs that an area can support because of population/need.

Why, that would be fiscally irresponsible, it really would! You can't expect businesses to waste time and money TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO DO A JOB! They'll just take that training and go somewhere else, and THEN where will you be?

 

[Dozdoats]

Any plans that require unquestioned fealty to the USGovt as currently manifested could do with some serious re-examination IMO.

YMMV.

 

[Meemur]

I'm all for helping the little darlings who qualify into 18-month and 2-years programs that are respected by employers and lead to local jobs. Welding and mechanical design are two such fields, along with all of the medical support positions (RN and so forth). Paralegals are also needed in some areas.

I agree that in many cases, this is not the time to go to a 4-year college. However, most of the jobs in my area that pay $20+/hour require some training after high school! I'd like to see more paying internships available so that students can graduate with zero to very low debt ($2,000 instead of $30,000+).

I'm not against higher education. But those who seek it should have a clear plan and a way to pay for it, as well as a practical focus. I have no problems with gifted students pursuing things like physical therapy or accounting (and preparing early to pass the CPA exam). Subjects like gender studies and comparative ancient languages need to be shelved for now. The University of Iowa is cutting a lot of of the garbage. I hope the other state schools follow suit.

 

[ShadowMan]

I’d personally rather be an unemployed robot repairman than an unemployed transgender african-american history of dance liberal arts major.

Degrees like this should be completely outlawed as they are TOTALLY USELESS in the real world! Several years back Japan outlawed just about all Liberal Arts Degree programs in their colleges and universities as being absolutely useless and does nothing to help or improve the job market and GDP of the nation. Japan's focus is on STEM studies and degrees.

 

[Meemur]

I said that liberal arts studies should be dropped back in the mid-1980s. It used to be that Fortune 500 companies liked liberal arts majors for managers because they were easy to train. By the mid-80s, many of those middle management positions had been eliminated and never returned. Basically, if you can't major in something that pays enough to make a living, avoid college and seek other types of training or careers.

 

[Walrus]

Trade jobs will always be in demand. When your A/C goes out, you don't call your accountant or IT guy.

You got that right, and there's a huge demand for tradesmen (tradespeople?) now which will continue into the future. Companies always need good people and the future is wide open to smart, hardworking kids with good skills - whether it's medical, construction, welding, whatever.

I wouldn't recommend going to university for the majority of kids anymore. The idea that one needs a college degree to get into a door is passe. Not everyone is suited to spend their lives in some cubicle hoping to get an outside office someday.

Our two oldest grandchildren are at the point where they're making life decisions and we're very proud of them both. The older sister has graduated this year and plans to become a neurologist. She's intelligent, focused and figures stuff out on her own - she wanted to make sure she could pay her way through without loading up on loans, and decided to join the National Guard last year so spent last summer foregoing her athletics and graduated from boot camp before doing her senior year. She was then accepted into the ROTC program at her university and will go there for the beginning of the school year. Instead of attending school for her second semester, she'll be going to San Antone to do the Army's (68B, I think) combat medic course and then will return to school in the fall, going ROTC fulltime. I don't know the details of how that's done, BTW, but that's what she's told me. She is thinking about neurosurgery but isn't sure she wants to do the extra time in school, but that's a choice she doesn't have to make right now.

Her younger brother is a HS junior with the same high grades and good athletic talent. He wants to play football or wrestle in college which is fine, but he's drifting around about his major. (Reminds me of his grandpappy) If he doesn't want to do some kind of engineering, his dad and I are talking with him about just going to trade school for something or else an apprenticeship program. I'm not much on what unions have become but they have the best training programs in the US for their people. And they get paid while they learn, too.

We'll see what becomes of all this as time goes along.

 

[DragonBurrow]

yes and many of the trades are now occupied by illegal aliens and their spawn.
However if Americans can get a proper education (reading and writing ) and can think and comprehend...it will help.

College is not required to know how to read and write, a desire to learn is all you need. Supportive family structure helps a lot too.

 

[Dozdoats]

Learning to be an autodidact is vastly under appreciated.

 

[Walrus]

Dangit, you made me have to look up that word. I was going on a contextual interpretation which I thought might be close enough but thought ... well, better check.

It wasn't even close! But I agree. Motivation helps.

 

[Coulter]

Maybe just maybe some are waking up that we don't have a future.