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<p>The time period factor does come in if you expand the time range beyond 25 years ago…like before the mid-1960’s. From what I read and heard about from older Profs, classmates’ parents/grandparents, and acquaintances who attended college before the mid-1960’s…a college education was mainly the privilege of the scions of wealthy families and/or the academically top 10-15% of all high school students. </p>
<p>Moreover, I’ve heard that many state universities during the same period…particularly those in the Midwest maintained the rigorous reputation while balancing state mandates for lenient/free-admission policies for in-state residents by instituting weedout policies which flunked out around half of all in-state admits within the first two years. The policies mainly targeted those who weren’t willing to put in the requisite effort and/or were woefully unprepared for college-level work.</p>
<p>I’m thinking this was possibly what they were referring to when they said the culture of “college for everyone” is a “new” one.</p>