George Washington University announced on Monday that it was dropping testing requirements for its freshman admission process, meaning that students are no longer required to submit their SAT and ACT scores when applying for the university. Dean of Admissions Karen Stroud Felton explained their decision, saying “Although we have long employed a holistic application review process, we had concerns that students who could be successful at GW felt discouraged from applying if their scores were not as strong as their high school performance.” By removing the testing requirements, Felton hopes that the university will attract “outstanding students from all over the world and from different backgrounds - regardless of their standardized scores - to recognize GW as a place where they can thrive.” Do you like the idea of all universities and colleges adopting this policy?
Marco Rubio has called for dismantling the “cartel of existing colleges and universities." Do you agree?
Senator Marco Rubio addressed the burden of student debt that has stymied the path of many college graduates in his speech on Tuesday. Outlining his vision for the American economy, Rubio said, “We do not need timid tweaks to the old system; we need a holistic overhaul.” His plan for college and university education included two proposals that would make student loans more affordable. He first proposed an income-based payment system that would allow graduates to pay back their creditors at a rate suitable for their levels of earnings. His second idea was to allow a relationship between investors and students. Investors would pay for the students’ tuition, and in return, receive a percentage of the students’ salary for a few years after they graduate. What do you think about Rubio’s economic plan for higher education?
Is Elon Musk’s vision for school the next big idea for education?
Is it time to introduce some changes to the education system? Elon Musk seems to think so, having created a small school called Ad Astra (To The Stars) for his children and a small group of children whose parents work for SpaceX (Musk’s company). The school has done away with grade levels and, according to Musk, “[caters] the education to match [the children’s] aptitudes and abilities.” The school strives to teach problem solving by teaching the problem rather than the tools, which is an approach different from that of most American schools. Do you like this new structure for schools?