January 2018
“You will need exceptionally good grades to get into Appalachian State University. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Appalachian State University was 4.05 on the 4.0 scale.” CollegeSimple.com
Photo by: Ghiffar Ridhwan
While there is ongoing conversation about the rising cost of college tuition, there is little conversation about the current rising college entrance GPA qualifier of state colleges. This can have a great impact on the availability of a college education for high school graduates in under served communities who are trying to get into a college; students who are already facing surmounting life challenges, that includes the haphazard schools and education offered to them, resulting often in lower academic performance.
Research shows that because of the many daily obstacles faced by students living in economically hard-hit communities, there can be brilliant minds in this group of kids that do not have a 4.0 or even a 3.5 GPA. Many would say that they can go to community colleges, build up their GPA and from there apply to a 4 year state university.
That can only hold true if the rising college entrance GPA does not spill over to community colleges but let’s say that would never happen, to be considered is still the fact that there are only so many community colleges and unless there will also be massive correlating expansion of their capacity to increase student body, then the competition to get into a community college will automatically vastly increase as the rising high GPA entrance criteria for 4 year universities will leave lots of students with no option but community college. This would juxtaposition a scenario of stiffer competition for entrance and acceptance for both community colleges and state universities.
These dynamics support the concept that attainment of a college degree is not only being threatened by rising tuition cost and unsustainable student loan debts, as a country, but also this increased GPA entrance for state universities, only adding to the complexities that prevent high risk students from obtaining a college degree. Hence, unreasonable state university’s admitting GPA scores can decrease college accessibility for high school students from disenfranchised communities, who are already at a grave disadvantage.
Rising GPA college admitting scores to state colleges is yet another challenge and social concern for students living in lacking circumstances- and living in harsh communities- in America. There are, without doubt, pearls among them that stand a chance and can achieve for themselves and the society if only they are given that chance. Education is one of the only tools that can break the rigid chain of generational poverty. Higher GPA for admittance to state universities only creates more barriers to it for kids who education is their only way to change and a good life.
