The number of applications for admission reported by North American Ph

Question

The number of applications for admission reported by North American Ph.D. programs in art history has declined in each of the last four years.We can conclude from this that interest among recent North American college and university graduates in choosing art history as a career has declined in the last four years.

Each of the following, if true, weakens the argument EXCEPT:

(A) The number of North American Ph.D. programs in art history that opted to report data about applications for admission has declined in each of the last four years.
(B) The average age of applicants for admission to North American Ph.D. programs in art history has increased in each of the last four years.
(C) The number of errors in data about applications for admission to North American Ph.D. programs in art history has increased substantially during the last four years.
(D) The number of North American employers willing to hire individuals without a Ph.D. for jobs in art history has increased in each of the last four years.
(E) The percentage of applications for admission received from outside North America by North American Ph.D. programs in art history has declined substantially in the last four years.

KarishmaB · Accepted Answer

- Number of applications for PhD in art history has declined in last 4 yrs

Conclusion: Interest among  recent North American graduates  in choosing art history as a career has declined in the last 4 years.

Because PhD applications have declined, we are concluding that interest among recent students to pursue art history as career has declined.

4 options will weaken this while the answer will not.

(A) The number of North American Ph.D. programs in art history that opted to report data about applications for admission has declined in each of the last four years.

This option tells us that fewer programs are reporting data. Hence the data in which our conclusion is based becomes suspect. This weakens our conclusion.

(B) The average age of applicants for admission to North American Ph.D. programs in art history has increased in each of the last four years.

Average age of applicants has increased. First of all, average age of applicants may not say much about more or less interest in art history as a career. Secondly, even if it does say something, it strengthens our conclusion. Conclusion talks about less interest in "recent graduates". So if people applying are older, it means that younger people are LESS interested. This actually supports the conclusion a bit.

(C) The number of errors in data about applications for admission to North American Ph.D. programs in art history has increased substantially during the last four years.

This option tells us that number of errors in data has increased. Hence the data in which our conclusion is based becomes suspect. This weakens our conclusion.

(D) The number of North American employers willing to hire individuals without a Ph.D. for jobs in art history has increased in each of the last four years.

This tells us that in the last 4 years, employers who hire without PhDs has increased. This could be the reason for reduced PhD applicants. Note that it is possible that people's interest has stayed the same or even increased in Art History as a career. Since PhDs are not required nowadays, that could be the reason for fewer PhD applications. 
Say, many MBA schools stop requiring GMAT scores for admission. Say, the number of people taking GMAT reduces. Can we say that people's interest in management as career has reduced? No. The need for GMAT has reduced and hence number of people taking it has reduced. It is possible that same or even more number of people have interest in management as a career. 
Hence (D) weakens our conclusion that students' interest in art history as a career has reduced.

(E) The percentage of applications for admission received from outside North America by North American Ph.D. programs in art history has declined substantially in the last four years.

This tells us that fewer people from outside NA are applying for PhD programs in art history. That could be the reason for fewer applications to the PhD program. Then it is possible that same or even higher number of NA students are applying for PhD in art history. Hence the interest among NA students for art history as career may be same or may even have increased. 
Say 100 students used to apply for PhD 4 yrs ago (50 NA, 50 international). Every year this number has been reducing by 10 so that now only 60 students applied (55NA, 5 international).
Since number of international students has gone down, the total number has gone down but the number of NA students has increased slightly. So can we say that interest among NA graduates has reduced? No. So it does weaken our conclusion. 
Hence this weakens our conclusion too.

Answer (B)

zeniamehta · Answer

Hello Experts, 
Karishma Veritas Prep

Can you please explain why d is wrong..

Argument : no of applications decreased > interest decreased

Option D states employers are willing to hire people without PHD in arts..so that actually strengthens this conclusion that interest in programs might have decreased..

It’s definitely not a weakener ...
Can you please explain where am I going wrong ..
Thanks

Posted from my mobile device

rish2708 · Answer

Hello  VeritasKarishma  Ma'am,

Could you please help me with my logic here? I chose option E over option B

Option B:
It says that the age has increased, well if age has increased then it might be a possibility that less number of people are applying and it seems as a potential weakener.

Option E:
As per the option, it says the percentage of Non North-Americans in the application process has decreased.

Now adding the fact   each year number of people in PhD are decreasing   and percentage of non-natives are decreasing, we see that higher proportion of native people are applying in the program, which I think we can infer as that   it might be same or   less number   of natives are applying ( is this a valid inference, or there is any flaw?)

Based on this we can't weaken the conclusion that   nterest among recent North American college and university graduates in choosing art history as a career has declined in the last four years.   right?

Regards,
Rishav

moike · Answer

I'll attempt to answer this, I believe the answer is (B) as stated as the official and here's why.

The argument we are refering to is the following "interest among recent North American college and university graduates in choosing art history as a career has declined in the last four years"

(A) This weakens the argument as it serves as a potential reason why applicant numbers may be falling. If fewer schools report their numbers, it will appear like fewer people are applying. Therefore this is incorrect.

(B) This one states the average age of applicants has increased. Now, just because the average age of applicants has increased does not make up for the reduced numbers we're seeing. Just because applicants are getting older does not mean fewer will apply. When you think about it logically, a different demographic of people are applying to the programs, this tells us nothing about the number of people applying. This is a strong answer at the moment in my opinion as it does NOT weaken the argument.

(C) This weakens the argument as it suggest there are discrepancies in the applicant data that is being received. These discrepancies could go both ways (e.g. overinflate numbers or underestimate numbers) however as there is reason to doubt the initial argument it does serve to weaken it. Therefore this is incorrect.

(D) This weakens the argument as it gives an alternate explanation as to why people are not pursuing PhDs in art history. If they are no longer required for a lot of jobs, people won't bother doing them hence the decrease in numbers. Therefore this is incorrect.

(E) This also weakens the argument however is a little bit more tricky to see. Initially, one may look at this and think it is the right answer but rest assured it does weaken the argument. The statement claims that fewer international students are applying. The argument in the stem does not mention anything relating to the make up of these programs (American vs International students) therefore we have reason to believe that the fall in program numbers is because fewer international students are applying. This question does not explicitly state that North american applications are falling instead it assumes that is true in the argument. Therefore this is incorrect.

As we are just left with (B) I am confident in saying that this is the answer.

Please correct me if I am wrong, I am always looking to learn

manishcmu · Answer

The percentage of applications for admission received from outside North America by North American Ph.D. programs in art history has declined substantially in the last four years. This essentially means that outside graduates are less interested in the Ph.D programs  relative to American graduates . This does not mean that interest of American graduates has decreased. Rather, this decreased interest of outside graduates is reflected in overall decrease in applications. Hence, it weakens.

nitesh50 · Answer

Hi

I totally agree that answer to this question is option B.
But I was not able to eliminate option E confidently.

Now we should always remember that increase/decrease in percentage may not mean increase/decrease in number .
Now in option E, we know that the percentage of international applicants applying to Phd programs had declined.
This may or may not mean that the number has declined.
Hence I feel that option E is also a contender.

Can someone point out why exactly is then option E incorrect?

Gladiator59 
 nightblade354 
 chetan2u

chetan2u · Answer

Hi..

Here what is this % of? The % talked is of total strength applying for art history.
Now people from outside constituted of a bigger share than now of people from outside.

So it is possible that, say, earlier there were 200, out of which 40% were outsiders so 60% or 120 local applicants.
Now, the applicant strength has gone down to 150 but the % of outsiders has also gone down to 20%, so now 80% or 120 again are locals.

So this gives us a reason to believe that the strength that has gone down COULD be due to the lesser % of outsiders.

VerbalBot · Answer

Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.

The number of applications for admission reported by North American Ph

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards

GMAT Critical Reasoning (CR) Questions

The number of applications for admission reported by North American Ph

Prep Toolkit

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards