GRE Argument Topic 8

Sample 1:

The director of student housing is recommending the addition of considerable dormitory space at Buckingham College based on what appears to be continuing growth in enrollment at the college. More detailed information would help the college administrators make an informed decision. They should not rush into an expensive expansion without further research. Evaluating past and current trends, projected population growth, availability of off-campus housing, and the cost/benefit of constructing new dormitories among other concerns will assist them in analyzing the current and future condition of campus housing.

An important piece of evidence missing from the recommendation is the current occupancy rate of the existing dormitories. The housing director has not revealed whether or not the rooms are fully occupied or if some double rooms have had to be converted to triples. Has the college had to refuse dormitory space to some students desiring it? In fact, the housing director's final reason for building new dorms suggests that the college lacks students rather than dorm space. His or her prediction is that attractive dorms will attract more students to the college. One is left to wonder whether the school needs more dormitory space or more students.

Does evidence exist showing that students select a college based on the attractiveness of its dormitories? One need only look at some of the oldest colleges and universities in the United States to question the veracity of that reason for building new dorms. Selective schools like Harvard, Yale and Wellesley do not attract the top students from around the world because they provide luxurious living conditions. Students compete for a place at these schools because they will get the best education in the world, enabling them to become successful enough to build their own luxury homes. It would probably take relatively little time and effort to find survey results listing the top ten reasons given by students for choosing a particular college or university.

Another reason given by the director for building new dorms is the apparently rising cost of apartments in the town. The director does not provide specific figures comparing the cost of room and board on campus to the cost of rent, food and utilities associated with off-campus living. Students are apt to have more options for living off-campus. The housing director doesn't cite a shortage of apartments as a reason for building new dorms, so one may believe that students have a variety of apartment sizes and rents from which to choose. Students can split the cost of off-campus living with one or more roommates, an option not available in college dorms where the cost for each resident is the same.

Before investing in new dormitories, decision makers should see information about the types of students who attend Buckingham College. A considerable portion of the student body may be non-traditional students. They are older or married or attend only part time. They could be commuters who live at home and travel to campus only to attend classes. These students will not live in dorms. On the other hand, a campus populated with traditional students generally requires more dormitory space.

Competition for students to fill classrooms and dormitories has increased. Today, anyone can earn a college degree at any level without ever leaving home. The University of Phoenix, for example, offers bachelor's through doctorate degrees in a variety of disciplines. Students can log on to their classes at a time convenient for them, participate in discussions with other students from around the country, complete assignments, take exams, and see their grades while still in their pajamas. Even traditional colleges offer online versions of courses for degree credit. If this trend continues, neither Buckingham College nor other institutions of higher learning will need to increase dorm space.

Undertaking a capital expense like new dormitories is never done lightly. The decision to do so should not be based on the assumptions in the housing director's recommendation without further research. If those assumptions prove to be too optimistic, the college will need to find other ways to attract new students and accommodate the ones it already has.

Sample 2:

In the above given memo from the dean at Buckingham College, the dean suggests that they should increase the number of dormitories in the college since the number of students will double in the next fifty years. He says that not only will it save the students from off-campus housing which is difficult to afford, it will increase enrollment at Buckingham College. This memo presented by the dean does not give a logical and practical suggestion and a closer look at his argument makes it insufficient to support the suggestion.

The dean is of the view that based on the current trend, the enrollment to the college will double in the coming fifty years. Considering this, the existing dormitories would be insufficient for all the students. However, if this trend is likely to continue like this is a matter which needs to be given a thought. Fifty years is a long period of time. There are many changes that happen in the administration and the running of a college. If the students are choosing to get enrolled in Buckingham College today, this might not be the case tomorrow. Enrollment of students depends upon many factors like the reputation of the college, job placements of graduates, courses offered, quality of education imparted etc. All these factors are variable in a span of fifty years. Therefore, it cannot be said for sure that in the next fifty years, the enrollment would double. Considering this, building a new dormitory might be a useless decision.

The dean further says that the average rent of an apartment in the town has increased in the recent years. However, if the rent is likely to continue to increase in future is a question that matters for students who seek off-campus housing. The prices of property see a lot of variation in short durations of time. The average rent of any apartment depends upon the property prices of that time. What the property prices are going to be in the next fifty years cannot be determined today. Hence, if off-campus accommodation will be unaffordable or if it is going to be comfortable for students is a matter of time. Moreover, if the average rent of an apartment is high in the town, the students have a choice of taking up an accommodation in the suburbs. Students can also form groups to share an apartment with which the burden of the rent is shared by all and it is not difficult on the pocket of any one of them. The dean ignores these possibilities and simply assumes that students will prefer a dormitory instead of off-campus accommodation.

The dean gives his final reason of building new dormitories and says that it will increase student enrollment in the college. This is, however, a very small factor which may effect student enrollment. As discussed earlier, there are many other factors which affect the enrollment of students. The students not only see the accommodation facilities given by the college but overall performance of the college while taking admission into it. Thus, the presence of dormitory is a secondary issue amongst many students seeking admission in a college. Moreover, many students prefer to take up an off-campus accommodation because it offers them independence. If they stay in a dormitory, they will have to bind themselves according to the rules of the college which can restrict their freedom. Therefore, even in the presence of a dormitory in the college, students might prefer to take up off-campus accommodations.

The dean also ignores the possibility of another college of repute coming up in future. In a span of fifty years there can be a number of new colleges rising in the town. It is possible that students prefer to get enrolled to other colleges than to get enrolled to Buckingham College due to the facilities offered as well as the reputation held by the other colleges. Therefore, it cannot be confirmed that student enrollment will double in the next fifty years. On the contrary, it might go down due to the increase in the number of colleges. The dean should consider these possibilities before suggesting such a decision. Building dormitories involves a great initial cost. The dean, however, does not seem to be concerned about this and simply presents a memorandum loosely based on assumptions and future possibilities.