Indeed, grades are the single best predictor of the ways attainment falls short of plans, and this predictability is somewhat larger for blacks than for whites. If students could focus on changing one attribute in high school to make their plans come true, they should improve their grades. The theory says students will invest in themselves and exert effort in school because they know there is a societal payoff. Counselors, however, respond to the information they get from colleges. Instead of blaming community colleges for cooling-out students' plans, we should wonder whether the colleges could do more to inform high school counselors and students.
Second chances are a fundamental American tenet.
However, open-admission policies and remedial programs inadvertently convey to students that high school is irrelevant and that there are no penalties for poor effort. Moreover, if students enter college with poor grades, they face a lot of hard work to catch up, and they have much lower chances of getting a degree. Indeed, many students with a low probability of success in college have no back-up plans or training. If the CFA norm did not focus so much on getting everyone into college, community colleges could be candid about the importance of high school grades, and high schools could tell students their realistic chances of attaining college degrees. Shielding high school seniors from the realities of college demands and allowing them to hold unrealistic plans is not a kindness.