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Or, the more pertinent question: Are Lori’s daughters “qualified” to attend USC?
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I hate to pick on Lori Loughlin’s daughters (<=not really) but, in the recent college admissions scandal, they’re the only  kids who have been outted (in detail) by the media … and, let’s be honest, they are easy targets.

Evidence re: smart or dumb is scant – i.e. IQ or legit SAT scores haven’t been reported – but there are a couple of data points:

1. The video loops on cable news are less than flattering (e.g. “I’m looking forward to the football games and parties” — not “the high level of intellectual challenge”);
2. Lori’s stating that “I didn’t push my daughters to get A’s in high school” — suggests that they met their mom’s low bar and didn’t get many A’s;
3. it took a whopping $500,000 to open USC’s “side door” for the girls — that suggests that the girls had a lot ground to make up.
4. Lori shelled out the $500,000 (and allegedly committed a couple of felonies in the process) …that’s pretty dumb … and, at least some of everybody’s “smarts” comes via their parents DNA.

So, it seems reasonable to conclude that the girls aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer.

Does that mean that they aren’t “qualified” to attend USC?  

That’s a trickier question…

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My view: “qualified” is a pretty low bar …

Specifically, I’d say that an applicant is “qualified” if they have sufficient smarts and dedication to learning that it is reasonable to expect that they can successfully complete the coursework that’s required to earn a degree.

I think that’s the criteria applied for big sport athletes at “elite” colleges.

So, why not apply that criteria to all applicants?

By that measure, I’d like to see the grade transcripts for Lori’s daughter who has already been matriculating at USC.

If she has done well (or at least dodged academic probation), then she can claim that she’s “qualified”.

Hmmm.

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Of course, that opens another can of worms…

These days, relatively few students flunk out of elite colleges.

Why?

First, elite schools tend to be pretty good early-identifying faltering students and intervening to provide supplemental resources (e.g. tutoring) sufficient to “save” them.

Second, course catalogs have generally been watered down with “gut” courses that are easy — either in content or grading or both … and, rigorous core courses (think: calculus) are decreasingly required to get degreed.

Third, grade inflation is alive and well … and on steroids.  A’s are dished like penny candies; ”“F’” is a dying grade; “D” is in peril.

Bottom line: If “reasonably expected to graduate” is the measure of “qualified”, then the bar in limbo-level low.

And, the ground-level bar can’t be pinned on Lori or her daughters … that’s the school’s problem … and. probably, a way bigger issue.

Said differently, if Lori’s daughter is passing her courses then she has a legitimate claim that she’s “qualified” …. but that doesn’t give us enough info to slot her on the smart-dumb continuum.

Oh well…
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Tomorrow, another pivotal question:
Are “better qualified” students entitled to admission over “merely qualified” applicants?

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This entry was posted on March 18, 2019 at 6:59 am and is filed under College Admissions, Education - Academics, SAT - tests. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.