Colleges not challenging enough for graduates of top high schools

[Anonymous]

“Our students find college not as challenging,” says Temba Maqubela, dean of faculty and assistant head for academics at Phillips Academy, the boarding school in Andover, Mass. Former students have written to him expressing frustration with college courses that are too basic. (Consider this collegiate-sounding offering from Andover’s English department: “Feasts and Fools: The Topos of the Festive Social Gathering.”) Andover alumni tell John Rogers, dean of studies, that college “is not as difficult as their experience here,” he says.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/education/edlife/07prepared.html?pagewanted=all%20%3Chttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/education/edlife/07prepared.html?pagewanted=all%3E&_r=0

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“Our students find college not as challenging,” says Temba Maqubela, dean of faculty and assistant head for academics at Phillips Academy, the boarding school in Andover, Mass. Former students have written to him expressing frustration with college courses that are too basic. (Consider this collegiate-sounding offering from Andover’s English department: “Feasts and Fools: The Topos of the Festive Social Gathering.”) Andover alumni tell John Rogers, dean of studies, that college “is not as difficult as their experience here,” he says.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/education/edlife/07prepared.html?pagewanted=all%20%3Chttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/education/edlife/07prepared.html?pagewanted=all%3E&_r=0

Why drag up this 2007 article?

This was true back in the 1990's. Grads of top boarding schools did not break a sweat in first year intro classes even at Princeton. After these classes, however, they could take anything up to graduate level classes if they needed the challenge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Our students find college not as challenging,” says Temba Maqubela, dean of faculty and assistant head for academics at Phillips Academy, the boarding school in Andover, Mass. Former students have written to him expressing frustration with college courses that are too basic. (Consider this collegiate-sounding offering from Andover’s English department: “Feasts and Fools: The Topos of the Festive Social Gathering.”) Andover alumni tell John Rogers, dean of studies, that college “is not as difficult as their experience here,” he says.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/education/edlife/07prepared.html?pagewanted=all%20%3Chttp://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/education/edlife/07prepared.html?pagewanted=all%3E&_r=0

Why drag up this 2007 article?

This was true back in the 1990's. Grads of top boarding schools did not break a sweat in first year intro classes even at Princeton. After these classes, however, they could take anything up to graduate level classes if they needed the challenge.

I think this is more true today compared to 7 years ago. The educational inequality is getting worse not better with kids at the top even more prepared for colleges than the average high school kids. Theses kids will than take up most of the grad/professional school spaces.

[Anonymous]

Kids can always overload, take grad classes, get involved in extracurricular research activities that they have time for because their classes are relatively easy, and so on. It's lazy to say that college isn't challenging enough.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I went to a big three and freshman year for me and my hs classmates was easier on us regardless of where we went to school. The solution is just to take upper level seminar classes even though you are a freshman. Or take the freshman classes and enjoy getting high grades will your classmates are struggling!

[Anonymous]

12:52, if you are a product of a big three private school, that's a shame. Your sentence construction, grammar and spelling are atrocious.

[Anonymous]

Nothing to do with big 3. The simple fact is the most prepared students from any good private in this area -- lots of challenging classes (whether called AP or otherwise), good work ethic, etc will do very well at top colleges ( and probably top state schools) but should be challenged as freshman so long as they take appropriate classes and don't repeat what they already know or go light on credits. My DC has to write a paper almost each week as a freshman, and DC's friends spend many hours on problem sets in math/ science classes. Yes, they do better than less prepared classmates, but it is Still a lot of work. I don't get this thread.

[Anonymous]

Every private school and competitive public school says that as a way to show how challenging their curriculum is. It really depends what you take in college. My DC passed out of most entry level classes with AP credits so is taking upper level classes. Some of those are pretty challenging. Interestingly some of DCs friends at Ivy keague schools say it's easy - but that's in part because many ivies don't take AP credits so they are repeating material they've already had. And all of this tends to apply to freshman year. After that the playing field levels out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I went to a big three and freshman year for me and my hs classmates was easier on us regardless of where we went to school. The solution is just to take upper level seminar classes even though you are a freshman. Or take the freshman classes and enjoy getting high grades will your classmates are struggling!

Me thinks you need to take 6th grade English again!

[Anonymous]

Crazy. If this is you in college do you:

a) Take classes you need, sleep in and get great grades with no struggle

b) Take classes you need, great grades, and write your novel or code your website on the side

c) Take additional, more challenging classes and either graduate in 3 years or do all your post doc too

or

d) whine to your former headmaster as if they can do anything about it except pat themselves on the backs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:12:52, if you are a product of a big three private school, that's a shame. Your sentence construction, grammar and spelling are atrocious.

You need a comma after 'grammar.' Stop throwing stones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Crazy. If this is you in college do you:

a) Take classes you need, sleep in and get great grades with no struggle

b) Take classes you need, great grades, and write your novel or code your website on the side

c) Take additional, more challenging classes and either graduate in 3 years or do all your post doc too

or

d) whine to your former headmaster as if they can do anything about it except pat themselves on the backs?

+100 Methinks this is a humble brag, to which I say boo f-ing hoo. Not challenged, go find a real problem to solve.

[Anonymous]

Honestly I think a bigger issue is kids showing up at college burned out from all the work and intense pressure of getting into college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly I think a bigger issue is kids showing up at college burned out from all the work and intense pressure of getting into college.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly I think a bigger issue is kids showing up at college burned out from all the work and intense pressure of getting into college.

+1

Absolutely, so so true. Which can lead to reckless/delayed teenage behavior that is especially worrisome with little supervision.