Kids Today…

“Kids today have it so easy” has been spoken by parents since time immemorial. Guess what, kids? Your parents are correct.

When we had to write a research paper in the Dark Ages before the Internet, we obtained data after hours dealing with cranky Marian the Librarian and wandering the stacks. Now, a few keystrokes on Google instantaneously provide references galore. When it came time to actually write that paper, even MS Word couldn’t correct our syntax errors and poor grammar. Now, A.I. allows every 15 year old to write like Hemingway.

Kids today don’t even have to sweat getting into college. In fact, it has gotten easier over the past ten years. 78% of first year applicants to public colleges and 70% of first year applicants to private colleges were admitted last year compared to 68% and 65% five years ago. Several prestigious colleges saw significant increases in acceptance rate over that span:

Bucknell. 27% (2014) to 33% (2024). Of course, you have to live in Lewisburg, PA

Pepperdine. 38% to 48%. Malibu, CA!!! Beach, baby!!!

Brigham Young. 55% to 67%. Lots of Utah skiing. Zero booze or even caffeine though. Thanks, Mormons!

Minnesota Main Campus. 50% to 75%. Indiana Main Campus. 74% to 82%. Michigan State. 71% to 88%. Better than a 3/4 chance to be admitted to Big State University. Let’s move to Minnesota, Indiana, or Michigan.

Not to be That Cranky Old Guy, but college acceptance was literally a matter of life and death for males in the High School Class of 1965. If you did not bag that college student deferment, you stood an excellent chance of being drafted, sent to Vietnam, and being among the 60,000 who never came home. And it was not that easy to get into college then. Penn State’s undergrad enrollment was roughly 10,000 in 1965 compared to 42,000 today and there were no branch campuses or community colleges. There just weren’t that many college “slots”.

Unlike today, cost was not a barrier in 1965. PSU tuition that year was a whopping $525.

Kids today have it so easy, but parents who have to foot the bill certainly do not.

By Ed Dufton