I'm OK with wealthy people donating lots of money to get their kids into a university

[Dewey_Finn]

Except experienced hiring managers (and admissions people at graduate schools) know which schools practice grade inflation and how to value an A at Harvard vs a B at Wossamotta U. FYI, the nerd school I attended had a practice of grading on a curve, which is basically the opposite of grade inflation.

[EarlGrayHot]

No, that money does NOT go into the general coffers at any school. It enriches the people who maintain the scam. But I am not ok with this scam on any level.

[Nava]

@Dewey_Finn

Except experienced hiring managers (and admissions people at graduate schools) know which schools practice grade inflation and how to value an A at Harvard vs a B at Wossamotta U. FYI, the nerd school I attended had a practice of grading on a curve, which is basically the opposite of grade inflation.

Depends on what the rest of the group is like. I fucking hate the curve, or at least the way it’s used in many schools. It tells you a person’s position within a limited group, but can be a horrible system when trying to compare people from different groups. The person who gets a C in a group that’s all very good may actually be better than the person who got an A in a worse cohort.

[Red_Wiggler]

@Hermitian

Lets say Mr. Smith loves to think about the Glory Days when he used to get drunk and pass out on the lawn of State U.

Mr. Smith has done VERY well for himself, his son is 16, and he is thinking about making a very large donation to State U. He knows his son is mostly worthless, but he wants him to experience the glory of State U, just like he did so many years ago.

You have a daughter that is 17, she is bright and is going to State U to major in microbiology.

Let’s propose two scenarios:

1. State U declines Mr. Smith’s donation due to the fact that they would have to accept Smith Jr. The microbiology dept continues to share a bare-bones building with the Math department. You pay $6,000 a semester for your daughter to go there.

2. State U accepts Mr. Smith’s donation. This is the extra cash they needed to build a new microbiology building (which bears his name, Smith Hall). They are able to hire better microbiology faculty since the new facility is a draw for next level professors. You only have to pay $5,500 a semester. Your daughter’s education definitely took a step up. On the flip side, Smith Jr is accepted to the university despite his lackluster grades and drive. He is majoring in business and is following is his father’s collegiate footsteps (mostly drunk). He graduates with a 1.8 GPA and goes on to run his father’s business.

Which do you prefer? I prefer #2 for my daughter.

Trick question! If No. 2 occurs, the football coach gets a raise.