<p>
</p>
<p>I remember doing all my essays and completing all of my apps on one Saturday evening. A couple hours. No one reviewed. Done and done.</p>
<p>
I’m a little confused as to what you’re saying, or exactly what the issue is. </p>
<p>Here’s median household income tables-
[Median</a> Household Income History in the United States](<a href=“http://www.davemanuel.com/median-household-income.php]Median”>Dave Manuel - Economy, Stock Market and Real Estate News)</p>
<p>Assuming this is correct</p>
<p>In 1975 median household income was around 10K. So 3K tuition was about 30% of median household income. </p>
<p>In 2010 the median household income was 47 K. So a 30K to 45K tution is a significant bite out of the median income. And I think these days that median income assumes far more two income earner households than in 1975.</p>
<p>Of course at the upper income levels, after a certain point, the price difference becomes less significant.</p>
<p>Or are you talkiong about something completely different?</p>
<p>
I don’t remember my college aps at all but I did find my NMS application with a clumsily typed personal description statement. I tried to fit it all in a little box on the page. I discussed my activities, including those activities “Seperate” from school activities. Obviously, the spelling bee was not included.</p>
<p>I’d be interested, in a wincing kind of way, to know what Middlebury’s stats were. They waitlisted me, with a well over 1450 SAT, and 7/900 rank. My guess has always been that it was because I needed FA. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the essay–as elsewhere I won a creative writing scholarship. Not that this still rankles 35 years later, or anything…</p>
<p>bovertine–the example that was given where tuition was $3500 but the professor salary was $18,000-that $3500 was just about 20% of the gross income for that family. Today, that tuition rate is about $40,000 and that same job’s salary is about $180,000 or 22% of the gross income for that family. You can’t compare average salaries across the country and get an accurate figure of how inflation has paid a part in rising college costs. In 1975 you didn’t have the disparity in salaries, professional jobs were not as prominent and most people did not have a college degree. You have to compare apples to apples. </p>
<p>Back when I was in college, the COA of the private school I attended was about $16,000/year. At that time my Dad was making $50,000/year. That was about 32% of gross. That same school is now about $45,000 COA, that same job my Dad had then is now paying about $150,000, so 30% of gross. When you compare apples to apples, those numbers haven’t changed at all over the years. What HAS changed is how much states subsidize state schools and the % of tuition/fees students are expected to pay now compared to then-which has greatly skewed the numbers for the “rising” college costs.</p>
<p>I remember having to do applications and essays by hand-required. It sure cut down on the parents doing them for the kid :D.</p>
<p>
You were screwed.:)</p>
<p>Highly selective,
Average scores - Verbal - 590 men, 620 women Math 600 men, 640 women (note this sort of matches Marian’s paradigm from above).</p>
<p>10% scored above 700 on verbal, 25% above 700 on math.</p>
<p>Of course, the book points out that all these schools had “holisitc” admissions even then. But you may be right about FA -Very expensive ($4,400). only 18% of students got FA with average award around 1500.</p>
<p>^^ I’m glad you asked about middlebury…that was the school I got accepted and most wanted to attend but my parents said it was “too far away”…I cried for days, in today’s terms it was my dream school… but I did get accepted. 3/200 public midwest, no finaid needed, but my SATs were lower than yours more like 1200, Garland. I still sometimes stop and wonder now that the kids are in the middle of the whole college thing how things would be had I attended.</p>
<p>Crossposted - but Garland, yeah, you were screwed.</p>
<p>Wow and ouch. Well, we wouldn’t have been able to afford it, anyway. /sourgrapes.</p>
<p>Ok I’ll bite - stats for Mount Holyoke? Thanks!</p>
<p>
I guess I still don’t completely understand. Shouldn’t the comparison be how affordable college tuition is for the aveage or median family, not how affordableit is for people with certain jobs?</p>
<p>And 18K does not seem like a huge salary for the 1970s. I think that’s around what I made as an entry level engineer in 1979. Entry level engineers today make around 50K.</p>
<p>For professors you may be right. But that’s a pretty narrow window to view tuition inflation through. And I’ll point out that I’m pretty sure many assistant professors at our CSU state schools (CA) earn less than 100K.</p>
<p>But anyway–it worked out well. I took the CW scholarship to a school I ended up hating, which meant I came home a lot of weekends, where I got to know and started going out with a guy who was headed to UMich, transfered there for JR year, loved Michigan, married the guy, and ended up very happy! So thank you, Middlebury! ;)</p>
<p>Garland, that’s so funny you ended up at UofM…my parents pushed and pushed and pushed for UofM. I got accepted at the res college which was the only way I agreed to apply but didn’t attend.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Mount Holyoke was listed as Most Selective, along with the Ivy schools.
88% of students were in the top fifth of their class.</p>
<p>It doesn’t list average or median SATs but gives a beakdown -
Verbal - 54% of class above 600, 9% of class above 700
Math - 54% above 600, 10% above 700</p>
<p>$3,150 a year.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Really?? I have to say I’m shocked at that. I want to know what state you’re at so I can direct DS there in the future :). I know that tenure track position in my directional U (yes, not the same) pays 44K/yr</p>
<p>Not vouching for accuracy of info but </p>
<p>[University</a> of Michigan, Ann Arbor Public Salaries - Public Salaries Database - CollegiateTimes.com](<a href=“http://www.collegiatetimes.com/databases/salaries/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-2010?dept=mathematics]University”>http://www.collegiatetimes.com/databases/salaries/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-2010?dept=mathematics)</p>
<p>seems to suggest that Asst Prof at U of Mich in Math get paid 50-60K/yr</p>
<p>And no 18K was not a lot in 1970s. Our family of 5 basically had enough to eat, house, clothe (some home made) and have 1 vehicle.</p>
<p>This is so much fun. I graduated from college in 1976, so this is right in my era. What does it say for Macalester if you have time to check. I seem to recall my parents only paid about $4800 for all costs… is that about right? I also seem to recall it wasn’t that hard to get in at the time.</p>
<p>Mscslester
Highly selective
76 percent accepted
Verbal SAT ave 560
Math ave 590
8 percent over 700 V
11 percent over 700M
For 1975 book says 2800 tuition, 1200 room and board, 600 other. So close to what you remember</p>
<p>Round trip ticket to Europe from NYC in 1976 was $505. Since we just flew for $680 RT last month, guess that’s a way better deal now.</p>
<p>I don’t remember what my college cost (U of M 75), pretty sure it was in the 100s of dollars per semester, but I distinctly remember grad school tuition, because I paid for it. $5k the first year, $5.5k the 2nd year, today tuition and fees are $62k and 1st year total cost is estimated at over $90k. I couldn’t do that today.</p>
<p>I believe someone mentioned above about the re-centering of the SAT scores in the 1990’s. Here’s the data: [SAT</a> I Individual Score Equivalents](<a href=“http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/sat/equivalence-tables/sat-score]SAT”>http://professionals.collegeboard.com/data-reports-research/sat/equivalence-tables/sat-score) So we all improved by a lot in comparison! Also, gives a frame of reference when reviewing the scores Bovertine is supplying here. Thanks, Bovertine.</p>