The record-union., 1897-11-26
Rattan Rockers, So so.

in requirements of four books of Cae-
sar or equivalent From another point
of view, all schools which properly use
the time ordinarily devoted to reading
four books Of Caesar will prepare then
students in easy prose for 81 per cent.
of the colleges of the country. AS
against this overwhelming majority,
three colleges ask for three books and
two for two books. Five thus Iail pe-
low the general standard.
Requirements of forty-seven colleges
can be met by reading six oration3
against this IS per cent, thirteen COZ
leges. less than % per cent, are below
the average. Eight and one-thlrd per
cent have no requirement In verse,
1-3 per cent. less than six books oi
Vigil; 46 2-3 pre- cent ask Tor SIX
books: SO 2-3 per cent, ask Tor more
than six books Of Vigil. AT present
there seems to be a tendency to exteno
the requirements Of Latin for admission
TO scientific courses and to increase the
amount where already required. "A
careful study of Latin entrance re-
uuirements the country over leads TO
the conviction that there is much less
diversity than has been generally sup
posed.
UPON THE SUBJECT OF NATURAL
SCIENCE.
While average requirement is ioW'
incoherent, and illogical, yet there are
thi1-ty-four institutions recognizing s
physics, twenty-four recognizing chem
istry. TWENTY-FIVE biological subjects,
and sixteen recognizing photographic
subjects of physical geography, astron-
omy and geology.
UPON THE SUBJECT OF MATHE-
MATICS.
In arithmetic, Of sixty institutions,
twenty y-eight have uniform require
ment.
In algebra, nearly all colleges re-
quire elementary algebra through
quadratics.
In geometry appears the greatest di-
versity in any one subject of mathe-
matics. OF sixty colleges, thirty mine
require plane geometry alone; nine
teen require plane and solid, and two
none at all: some only a part of plane
geometry.
In trigonometry. three colleges re-
quire plane trigonometry in addition
to plane geometry.
In eighteen of the colleges require
ments in scientific course are some
what higher than in other courses, usu-
ally demanding trigonometry or solid
geometry or both.
The difference in admission require
ments for one half dozen colleges taken
at random is considerable, and the bur-
den imposed upon a school fitting for
several colleaes is in consequence also
considerable. This great diversity
seems wholly unjustifiable. A school
preparing for several colleges ought to
be able to adjust its programme eco
nomically as we'll as efficiently. When
the difference in requirements made by
two institutions is so great that one
of them requires algebra and plane
geometry, and the other insists on both
plane and solid geometry, and perhaps
trigonometry as we'll, and probably a
third institution requires arithmetic as
well as geometry and algebra, while
the other two do not, it is clear that
the secondary school fitting for college
is required to adjust itself to demands
that impose needless burdens.
To state this fault would seem 70
indicate that the time has come when
the colleges should agree on some plan
of admission requirements in math
ematics that shall satisfy them all by
means of reasonable substitutes ara
omissions
The programme for the past year
which the Joint Committee has had
under its direction contained the fol-
low lines of work: Q The active CO.