Press Release

Kevin Prior
INeedAPencil Summer Associate
Harvard College 2011

Recession and College Choice

From The Dallas Morning News, personal anecdotes on how the recession is affecting high school students' choice of enrollment for higher education. Interesting and disturbing statistic: 70% of high schools reported that a great number of their students sacrificed "dream schools" for ones that were more economically viable.

Link: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/DN-collegedreams_29met.ART.State.Edition2.4ba5b8a.html

Kevin Prior
INeedAPencil Summer Associate
Harvard College 2011

College Affordability - A Zero Sum Game

The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that a survey conducted by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities found that tuition will rise an average of 4.3% next year, the smallest increase in 37 years. This shows marked fiscal constraint on behalf of universities who have lost millions of dollars in endowment investments and have fewer liquid assets with which to pay normal operating costs.

Harvard, with the largest endowment of any university in the world, used about a third of endowment funding towards its operating costs in 2008. In March 2009, however, the university announced that it would diminish its dependence on the endowment by reducing the amount allocated to the operating budget to only 8%. This comes after a 22% loss in the endowment's nearly $37 billion value. Harvard has begun cutting jobs and budgets to make up for this loss as well as past reliance on the endowment for operating costs.

Harvard, however, is one of the more fortunate universities. President Faust has stood by her commitment to continue to offer financial aid as a priority despite the economic downturn, with one of the best programs in the country - even offering a full-ride for students whose families make under $60,000 in annual salary. More important, Harvard will continue its need-blind policy in evaluating applicants for admissions - that is, one's ability to pay tuition will not be taken into account when one's application is reviewed.

A recent New York Times article noted that many universities are now looking more favorably on applicants of wealthier means - even Morton Owen Schapiro, President of Williams College, remarked, "There’s going to be a cascading of talented lower-income kids down the social hierarchy of American higher education, and some cascading up of affluent kids." Colleges are even accepting transfer students or wait-listed students who they need not adhere to their usual policy of need-blind evaluation when reviewing. This creates a worrisome trend, one that universities such as Harvard may be isolated from in having large endowments as security nets, but others without such funding may continue to turn to.

The smaller-than-average tuition hike is certainly a good sign, but the economic downturn has left universities searching for ways to continue to fund themselves, especially after large endowment losses. Universities evaluating wealth as a factor of admissions is a new strategy which they will use to meet budgets while ostentatiously and publicly flaunting financial aid as a top priority. Universities cannot seek to solve their financial problems at the expense of those most financially burdened. Low-income students should not "cascade down the social hierarchy" solely because of the genetic lottery or socioeconomic situation which they were born into. We cannot defeat the age-old socioeconomic income gap alone - universities have to come together to attract the best talent and diversity regardless of financial need so that income does not determine educational opportunity.


Articles for Reference:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2009/06/college-tuition-costs-for-the-new-school-year-will-rise-an-average-of-43-the-smallest-increase-in-at-least-37-years-the-n.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122832139322576023.html

http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/03/20/harvard_to_reduce_dependence_on_drawing_from_endowment/

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE55M66320090623

http://www.collegiatetimes.com/stories/9664

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/education/31college.html


Kevin Prior
INeedAPencil Summer Associate
Harvard College 2011

Ricci v. DeStefano

The Supreme Court's decision in Ricci v. DeStefano has become a topic of debate relative to equal opportunity of employment and Judge Sonia Sotomayor's nomination. There has been little focus, however, on the effects such a decision may have on college admissions and higher education in the future. This case, in fact, strayed from past precedent or stare decisis by rejecting race as a consideration for promotion over other candidates.

In 1978, in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, Allan Bakke testified that he applied to University of California at Davis Medical School in 1973 and was rejected. He applied with higher scores in 1974 and again was rejected. Upon his realization that candidates of lower qualifications were admitted to the school under a special admissions program for minorities, he filed for mandatory, injunctive and declaratory relief, citing the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The court ruled 5-4 that race could not be used for quotas in admissions, but could be considered holistically as a factor in admission.

In the case of Grutter v. Bollinger in 2003, Barbara Grutter applied to University of Michigan Law School and was rejected. She filed a similar suit to Bakke, citing that she was discriminated against on the basis of race in violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. In her case, however, the court upheld affirmative action policy and argued that considering race in a holistic context was allowed in admissions decisions. The majority argued in a 5-4 decision that eventually admissions should be "colorblind" and they estimated that in 25 years race should not be a key factor in admissions to higher institutions of learning.

Ricci v. DeStefano is quite possibly the beginning of a new era - were the 25 years in Grutter v. Bollinger an over-estimation? The question of affirmative action has always been a polarizing one, to the extent that all three of these court decisions have been primarily ideologically split and with only a one person majority. The question remains as to whether this recent decision will affect the affirmative action policies that justices have helped better define throughout these past three decades. Judge Sotomayor's probable nomination, though, conveys a sense of hope for advocates of affirmative action who see her background, experience, and ideology as enough evidence that she will protect this oft-divisive policy.


Kevin Prior
INeedAPencil Summer Associate
Harvard College 2011

FAFSA Simplification

Last Wednesday, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the simplification of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by reducing 20% of the questions, mostly in redundancies. The Obama administration will also seek legislation to further winnow down the form to a simpler version. The streamlining of the FAFSA is a step in the right direction - it will incentivize disadvantaged students who had been intimidated by the red tape to apply for federal funding in the form of Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, Perkins Grants, and even work-study or state aid.

This is a significant stride towards equitable education, at a time when it is most needed. Scholarships, grants, and state aid are being cut back or eliminated in light of the economic downturn. The Davis United World College Scholars Program has cut its scholarship offering of $20,000 per winner in half, The Fulfillment Fund - offering scholarships to Los Angeles students - has cut its offerings in half over the past three years, and The New York Times Company has cut its offered scholarships to 12 from 20. Even state aid has been significantly effected - in Pennsylvania state grants have been reduced, and California is considering cutting its state scholarship program completely in formulating its budget.

The long-awaited simplification of the FAFSA is a watershed in the push for equitable access to education. However, the economic downturn, as well as other barriers - including the income-moderated SAT score gap - are apparent indicators that there is room for improvement. INeedAPencil seeks to offer SAT prep for free such that educational opportunity is not determined by one's socioeconomic status.

Articles for reference:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/education/24fafsa.html?_r=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/27/education/27scholarship.html?ref=us


Kevin Prior
INeedAPencil Summer Associate
Harvard College 2011

SAT Scores

The June 6 score results were posted online today for student test-takers. With the relatively new option of Score Choice (implemented last year), students can choose to send their better score from one date they took the test, rather than send worse scores from earlier tests. This allows students to not let a bad test day hurt their chances of admission to colleges. We highly recommend using the Score Choice option and taking the SAT multiple times until you get an optimal score.

Looking to raise your score for another test administration? INeedAPencil.com offers FREE SAT prep that includes 60 lessons, practice questions, two full-length tests, as well as progress tracking and mentor communication options. Why spend thousands of dollars on other SAT prep programs that offer "only four months access" or deceitfully guarantee score increases, when you have all the resources available for you FREE with unlimited access at INeedAPencil.com?

Please try our services, and let us know what you think!

SATs and State Exams

"Let's Add SATs Into the Mix When Holding High Schools Accountable" by Mike Piscal
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-piscal/lets-add-sat-scores-into_b_217989.html

Mike Piscal, founder of the Inner City Education Foundation, raises some interesting points in his blog on The Huffington Post's website. Piscal argues that public schools tailor their teaching to state exams (in this case, California's) and thus leave students, especially low-income ones, unprepared for the SAT. He also notes a disparity between public schools and private or charter schools, which devote more resources to preparing students for the SATs and dismiss the California state exam as having no bearing on future educational opportunity.

The state exams, though, do offer a means for measuring the standards of accountability set by No Child Left Behind (NCLB). SAT results are currently available only to individual test takers, so the government cannot use these to track NCLB metrics. Further, state exams are often administered to vocational school students, many of whom do not wish to attend college. Piscal is correct in emphasizing that schools should teach to state exams and SATs, as a large number of students do pursue higher education, yet his argument tends to overlook that not every student wishes to go to college. Piscal would likely argue, though, that focusing public school curricula on the SATs may actually encourage more low-income students to take the test and matriculate at institutions of higher education - an option that they may never have considered before.

Assuming we accept Piscal's argument, what would happen if public schools did focus more on SAT preparation? American high schools have one of the shortest academic years amongst all industrialized nations. The United States' 180 days, compared to Japan's 243, The Netherlands' 200, England's 192, or even France's 185, leaves comparatively little time for teaching a comprehensive high school curriculum (see: http://www.eduinreview.com/blog/2009/03/obama-proposes-longer-school-days-extended-school-year/). Add state exam preparation and a renewed focus on SAT preparation to the mix, and students in public schools may end up underprepared in all of these areas. The gap between public and private schools would then grow larger since private schools would remain exempt from state exam preparation completely.

Piscal does make a strong argument for SAT preparation in public schools, where most low-income students are concentrated, yet he fails to offer a feasible solution for adding one more thing to an already frenzied academic year. Teaching to two tests may actually leave students more confused and less prepared. Moreover, he does not address the simple fact that many students in public schools do not wish to attend college, but do wish to graduate, and thus it makes more sense for them to prepare for a single exam.

Should SAT preparation be a part of public school curriculum, and is this even feasible? What are your thoughts?

Kevin Prior
INeedAPencil Summer Associate
Harvard College 2011

GSBI Article on the 20 Social Entrepreneurs in the Program

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/twenty-global-entrepreneurs-chosen-for,778603.shtml

Check out who will be joining INAP at the GSBI in August!

Colleges Facing Budget Pressures Turning Away Financial Aid-Receiving Students

Check out this NYT article about how students are now not being offered acceptances and are being substituted with paying students. I understand budgets, but this is sad.

A Strong Case for the For-Profit Social Enterprise Model

This blog post summarizes critical views that articulate the sad misalignment of incentives in the non-profit space. This is something we stand behind at INAP.

http://www.socialvelocity.net/2009/05/a-voice-for-convergence/

California is Trying to Make Textbooks Free!

Check out this new initiative that is lowering the cost of education.

New Orleans Charter Schools Producing Mixed Results

Check out this article which reports how effective N.O. schools have been made in making change.

Check Out the OER Movement

Click on the title for more info!

PBS Conversation with Leaders from College Summit

Click on the link above to read the interview!

CK12 is Making Textbooks Accessible for Everyone

Check out this article and interview with the co-founder, Neeru Khosla, to learn more about this endeavor. http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/14141

TBM'S Look into The College Board

The College Board makes more than half a billion dollars a year. Wow!

Impact of Economy on College Admissions

Apparently over 70% of prospective college students are altering their plans to attend college. How are you being impacted?

How Much Does Class Matter in America?

College Attainment and Family Income

The Effect of Being Poor on Memory and Learning

Really?

Inside Higher Ed: On Dropping the SAT

The report claims that dropping the SAT will increase diversity at universities. This indeed seems likely based on the research. However, what is the net effect? The loss of one standard criterion when there is such great fluctuation grades in school and extracurricular activities threatens the ability for colleges to properly understand a student's background and make the most appropriate admissions decisions.

facebook alums

more on assessments

Dropping the SAT? I'm not so sure.

Do Flashy Acceptance Letters Work?

Boosting performance with gum?

Hmm. What used to be contraband could now be giving people an advantage. Really?

The Gap Persists - NAEP - Harvard Crimson

Not a good year for Kaplan's test prep business

The Kaplan division, which accounted for 56 percent of revenue, posted a 76 percent decline in profit to $11.2 million. Kaplan’s test-preparation business lost $8.1 million, compared with a profit of $9.1 million a year earlier.

More students from China applying to US Schools

Take the SAT for free?

One component of Strickland's plan discussed Tuesday involved replacing the Ohio Graduation Test with a comprehensive four-part assessment made up of the ACT college entrance exam, end-of-the-course exam, completion of a service learning project and submission of a senior project.

The ACT exam would be provided to the students at no cost with the intent of encouraging students to consider higher education opportunities.

Offering the ACT for free...hm.