University admission policies

Letter: High school grads coasting into the summer thanks to policies

OPINION Jun 10, 2018 Waterloo Region Record

It is extremely difficult to motivate some students, even under the best of circumstances. As teachers and students near the end of another high school year, students are distracted by the better weather, love is in the air and smartphones are in their hands.

For those students privileged to be going on to university next year, secure in their acceptance in various Ontario universities, they really have no further reason to work. They have their acceptance letters in hand and are now safe in the knowledge that if they even moderately drift to the finish line of graduation they are still going to university without any last-ditch effort required. Why work any more?

Thanks to universities and their admissions policies. which work well for them, they have basically undermined senior students' motivation to work at the end of the school year. Students for the most part gain acceptance through their March mid-term marks. Students' June marks are largely irrelevant. Many students therefore slow their effort, and reduce their attendance thanks to university intake policies.

Marty Rempel

Waterloo, Ontario

Universities Sabotage Student Achievement and Motivation

It is extremely difficult to motivate some students even under the best of circumstances.  As teachers and students near the end of another high school year students are distracted by the better weather, love is in the air, and smart phones are in their hands.

 For those students privileged to be going on to university next year secure in their acceptance in various Ontario universities, they really have no further reason to work.  They have their acceptance letters in hand and are now safe in the knowledge that if they even moderately drift to the finish line of graduation they are still going to university without any last-ditch effort required. Why work any more?

 Thanks to universities, like our own Laurier and University of Waterloo, and their admissions policies which work well for them, they have basically undermined senior students’ motivation to work at the end of the school year.  Students for the most part gain acceptance through their March midterm marks.  Students’ June marks are largely irrelevant.  Many students therefore slow their effort, and reduce their attendance thanks to university intake policies. 

Students and teachers collectively can give thanks to the universities for selfishly under mining the system serving both secondary and post secondary institutions through their early admissions policies which serve to weaken motivation and achievement.

Marty Rempel