HCC Shut Up About Harvard by Ben Casselman Article Analysis Paper Your analysis must be in essay form appropriate to college-level writing (paragraphs, tra

HCC Shut Up About Harvard by Ben Casselman Article Analysis Paper Your analysis must be in
essay form appropriate to college-level writing (paragraphs,
transitions, an introduction and conclusion, etc.).You must explain your ideas in detail in order to clearly and completely establish your position. Use no outside research. Support can come from your own ideas or the article you chose.You may use first person, but do so judiciously. See Chapter 5. Use MLA style for this and ALL writing assignments in this class. See the sample paper MLA paper. Last Name 1
Name
Professor
Subject
20 April 2020
Ben Casselman’s Shut Up About Harvard Article and Analysis
Introduction
Is attending college worth it? High school graduates grapple with the idea that earning
college degrees potentially land them their dream jobs that are decent-paying, fulfilling, and
career-establishing. The U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics
(2019) mentioned that the employment rate of 86% was the highest for young adults aged 25 to
35 years old that have at least bachelor or higher degrees. Furthermore, the employment rate of
people with college units is at 79% compared to high school graduates with only 72%. The
rigours of college application processes have been duly noted and that educational providers,
both public and private, commonly share the intent of sifting entrance applications to shortlist
those who portray the minimum qualifications of being a bonafide student of their respective
institutions. Shut Up About Harvard, by Ben Casselman, describes the overwhelming emphasis
placed on college admission processes and how the media singles out elite schools. At the same
time, they overlook more pressing issues faced by students attending the public tertiary education
providers, such as state budget cuts on education, degree completion, considerations for working
students, and establishing other options for an affordable college education.
Summary
There is a developing debate over the admission processes of tertiary education providers
while there is too little emphasis on more pressing student-related concerns. The weight on
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college admission processes became mainstream because the national media has been
showcasing how elite schools like Harvard and Stanford conducts these processes as compared
to local community colleges and other public tertiary educational institutions. Casselman opined
that the media’s, as well as the movie industry’s, take about college life is misplaced, and he was
tracing this from the idea that most media persons are mostly Ivy Leaguers. He further
mentioned that college education is being viewed on the lens of the elite schools and not on the
life college students enrolled in public schools that account for more than 67% of the total
students enrolled in college. The emphasis on elite schools cloaks the central issues about a
college education, such as the public school system, state budget cuts, and the attrition rates for
first-time and full-time students. Also, policies about more than 50% enrolled students, and
working is some of the critical issues. Nearly 20% of students aged 25 to 34 years old have
college credits, but no degrees and more of them have pending student loans to pay. Casselman
suspected that these issues contribute to students of public tertiary educational institutions not
graduating on time because these students had to juggle schoolwork, their jobs, family, and
student debt.
Discussion
Casselman was able to logically and empirically discuss his thought processes about the
perception of college education in the U.S. Getting into college is not as important as finishing it.
Educational systems, local, and national governments should consider not only the fact that
majority of the students in elite schools graduate on time but also the reason why that is the case
and perhaps apply it to the public educational systems. A more in-depth look into state budget
cuts must be lobbied because tuition fees are increasing with diminishing subsidy comes from
the government. Mitchell et al. mentioned that the increasing cost of education is adding more
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burdens to students through rapid and significant increases in tuition fees and the budget cuts
have worsened racial and class inequality among college students (“State Higher Education
Funding Cuts”).
Aside from this, educational reforms are wanting because less than 50% of those who
enter college in public tertiary educational institutions graduate on time. Casselman presented the
current issues of college students, in general, face. In my case, I am a working student and the
remuneration I get from my job is very vital for my basic necessities and expenses related to my
schooling. I can afford to pay for gas in my inner-city travel, pay for dorm, and I can only
imagine how hard it is for students with small and growing families. The College of St.
Scholastica in Dulutth, Minnesota (2018) mentioned that 70-80% of college students are also
part of the labor market with 40% of the undergraduate students rendering at least 30 work hours
a week.
Educational institutions already use a blended learning methodology in the delivery of
instruction. Blended learning combines both physical and virtual interactions between teachers
and students. But in the case of working students, class schedules should be relaxed in ways that
allow working students to balance work and schooling. Schedules in college are usually fixed,
and the students are expected to adjust to it and not the other way around. If this system is
changed, accommodating working students will mean a better chance for them to balance time;
hence it can be expected that they will graduate on time.
For the academic year 2016-2017, the U.S. Department of Education mentioned that the
total cost (tuition, fees, room, and board) for students enrolled in public institutions is
$17,237.00. However, those in private non-profit institutions spend about $44,551.00, and
$25,431.00 for college students enrolled at private for-profit institutions (“Tuition Costs of
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Colleges and Universities”). This is a staggering 372.7% increase from prices in the academic
year 1985-86. Policies that encourage the affordability of college education must be promoted
and further state budget cuts for this item help balloon the cost of finishing college on time.
College students are becoming more hard-pressed with school works while balancing them with
social life, family, and work. Casselman was strong in contending that media and policy-makers
should focus more on this pressing, central, and more critical issues than other less trivial
concerns like college admission processes and increased mileage for elite schools. I could not
agree more. More efforts must be invested in policies that single-out student-related issues.
Conclusion
College is, after all, still worth it. Education is integral to an individual’s success. But the
way programs, systems, and policies that both the government and educational institutions,
including media, are being framed on issues that do not concern the students primarily.
Casselman is precise with his contentions that more emphasis should be made on government
contribution to the education sector specifically on tertiary education, on school policies for
working students, and the overall affordability of college education in the county. Highlighting
the college admission processes and enrollment to prestigious or elite schools do not define the
college life of the average American. The true concern must be on the growing statistics of
college students in public schools who do not graduate on time. Thus, they should be assisted
through policies that promote their general welfare, debt repayment, pro-working student
conditions, as well as means to make college education more affordable for all.
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Works Cited
Casselman, Ben. “Shut Up About Harvard.” FiveThirtyEight,30 March 2016,
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/shut-up-about-harvard/. Accessed 20 April 2020.
“Employment rates of college graduates.” U.S. Department of Education, National Center for
Education Statistics, The Condition of Education 2019 (NCES 2019-144).
https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=561.
Mitchell, Michael, Leachman, Micheal, & Saenz, Matt. “State Higher Education Funding Cuts
Have Pushed Costs to Students, Worsened Inequality.” Center on Budget and Policy
Priorities, 24 October 2019. https://www.cbpp.org/research/state-budget-and-tax/statehigher-education-funding-cuts-have-pushed-costs-to-students. Accessed 20 April 2020.
“Tuition Costs of Colleges and Universities.” U.S. Department of Education, National Center for
Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2017 (NCES 2018-070).
https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=76.
“Working While In College: Weighing the Pros and Cons.” The College of St. Scholastica, 21
May 2018. http://www.css.edu/the-sentinel-blog/working-while-in-college-weighing-thepros-and-cons.html.
1:30 1
..I LTE
Paper 2: Taking a Position
Plan and sketch an outline that responds to this
prompt: Using the techniques described in chapters 1-6
write a paper in which you identify the argument Graff
makes and respond to that argument. You’ll need to
briefly summarize the argument in your response. You
can agree, disagree, or a combination of both. Use the
templates and techniques from Chapters 1-5 and 7.
Option 2: Respond to “Shut Up About Harvard” by Ben
Casselman (390)
Plan and draft a paper that responds to this prompt:
Using the techniques described in chapters 1-6 write a
paper in which you identify the argument Casselman
makes and respond to that argument. You’ll need to
briefly summarize the argument in your response. You
can agree, disagree, or a combination of both. Use the
templates and techniques from the chapters 1-5 and 7.
Content and Support:
o
o Your analysis must be in essay form appropriate
to college-level writing (paragraphs, transitions,
an introduction and conclusion, etc.).
o You must explain your ideas in detail in order to
clearly and completely establish your position.
Use no outside research. Support can come from
your own ideas or the article you chose.
o You may use first person, but do so judiciously.
See Chapter 5.
o Use MLA style for this and ALL writing
assignments in this class. See the sample paper
MLA paper.
10:21
X ?
Submit Paper 2: Attempt 1
Your Grade
52%
E Comments
Cassandra- This paper doesn’t meet the assignment
requirements. Your score for critical thinking and support
were low as a result. 1. The only source permitted for this
paper was Casselman. If you revise, you’ll need to remove
all other references. 2. Your thesis and entire paper should
focus on agreeing or disagreeing with Casselman. You seem
to agree, but must make sure to add that in a thesis and
then throughout the paper. And remember to add
something new to the argument, which can be your own
ideas or experience. Review Chapter 4’s information on
agreeing and adding new. You can revise if you’d like.
Resubmit in the same place by the end of the day on 4/30.
YOUR ADDITIONAL CONTENT
0
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