The proportion of students attending community colleges has

Question

The proportion of students attending community colleges has increased dramatically in the past two years. Lakemore Community College, hoping to attract some of these students, has decided to build a larger parking lot and hire several new professors, while maintaining its already excellent communication with local high school college counselors.

Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest evidence in support of the contention that Lakemore's plan to increase its enrollment is flawed?

1) Although Lakemore has recently expanded its program to include fine arts and computer science, the percentage of community college students who choose to enroll at Lakemore has decreased over the last two years.

2)Students who were graduated from Lakemore in the past two years have had trouble finding jobs.

3)The relationship between Lakemore and local high school counselors has been responsible for the decision of many students to attend Lakemore.

4)Other community colleges in the area have better developed remedial programs to help students graduate on time.

5)Despite having better facilities than other community colleges in the area, Lakemore has had declines in enrollment in the past two years.

semwal · Answer

The  proportion of students  attending community colleges has increased dramatically in the past two years. Lakemore Community College, hoping to attract some of these students, has decided to build a  larger parking lot and hire several new professors, while maintaining its already excellent communication with local high school college counselors.

Which of the following, if true, provides the strongest evidence in support of the contention that Lakemore's plan to increase its enrollment is flawed?

1) Although Lakemore has recently expanded its program to include fine arts and computer science, the  percentage of community college students  who choose to enroll at Lakemore has decreased over the last two years... ...WE ARE TALKING OF %OF STUDENTS... NOT % OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS......MORE OVER WE HAVE'NT DENIED whether larger parking lot and hiring new professors, while maintaining its already excellent communication with local high school college counselors
will not make a defference....INCORRECT... 
2)Students who were graduated from Lakemore in the past two years have had trouble finding jobs..... MAY BE THESE FEW NEW CHANGES WILL STALL WHAT HAS HAPPENED EARLIER......INCORRECT

3)The relationship between Lakemore and local high school counselors has been responsible for the decision of many students to attend Lakemore.... ..STRENGTHENER.....INCORRECT .

4)Other community colleges in the area have better developed remedial programs to help students graduate on time.... IMO...CORRECT ANSWER ......MAY BE THIS IS THE REASON FOR MORE SUBSCRIPTION......SINCE THIS HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED......COULD BE THE REASON..... .

5)Despite having better facilities than other community colleges in the area, Lakemore has had declines in enrollment in the past two years...... BUT WITH NEW PROFESSORS COMING....MAY BE THE ENROLLMENT INCREASES....

KUDOS IF YOU PLEASE....

idinuv · Answer

OA is E

D talks about other community colleges, not Lakemore and its plan.

E. indicates that already-superior facilities have not lured more students to Lakemore, so it casts doubt on the likelihood that further improved facilities will increase enrollment.

semwal · Answer

I HAD THE FOLLOWING LOGIC................

E.    THOUGH LAKEMORE HAD BETTER FACILITIES SO FAR, BUT IT IS NOW ENHANCING THESE AND ALSO  INCLUDING NEW PROFESSORS  IN THE COLLEGE, WHICH COULD BE THE KEY FACTOR IN ATTRACTING MORE STUDENTS...CAN WE RULE OUT THE NEW PROFESSORS ANGLE..

D.   GIVES AN ALTERNATE REASON FOR ATTRACTING MORE STUDENTS.....IF LAKEMORE DID'NT ENSURE REMEDIAL MEASURES ENSURING TIMELY COMPLETION OF ITS PROGRAMMES , IT WONT BE ABLE TO ATTRACT MORE STUDENTS DESPITE BETTER FACILITIES...... IN THE MEANWHILE STUDENTS WILL FALL FOR OTHER COMMUNITY COLLEGES....

Paris75 · Answer

Hi,

This is my process:

1) Although Lakemore has recently expanded its program to include fine arts and computer science, the percentage of community college students who choose to enroll at Lakemore has decreased over the last two years.  OUT of scope

2)Students who were graduated from Lakemore in the past two years have had trouble finding jobs.  - Yes, but all the students went to Harvard Business MBA.. OUT

3)The relationship between Lakemore and local high school counselors has been responsible for the decision of many students to attend Lakemore.  OUT of scope

4)Other community colleges in the area have better developed remedial programs to help students graduate on time.  OUT of scope

5)Despite having better facilities than other community colleges in the area, Lakemore has had declines in enrollment in the past two years  CORRECT

Hope it helps

gmatprav · Answer

I went with B but I see why B is wrong. E seems to be missing an important point. My doubt is similar to semwal's. E only considers better facilities, how about new professors? How can we ignore this? Are new professors considered "facility"?

Sidhrt · Answer

question stem is about strengthening the contention that plan of Lakemore Community is flawed.

Plan include three things:
1. Build a larger parking lot
2.Hire several new professors
3. maintaining its already excellent communication with local high school college counselors.

option E says, despite having better facilities than other community colleges in the area, Lakemore has had declines in enrollment in the past two years. - Though it tells about the current facilities, It does not address the flaw in the future plan and how the future plan will not meet the desired outcome. Moreover, If the current facilities has caused a decline in enrollment that does not mean that the future plan( facilities) will also produce the same result.

Option C tells about a problem, which Lakemore forgot to address and which could affect the enrollments.

thanks

kinjiGC · Answer

I don't agree with OA. IMO it should be D.

"2.Hire several new professors"

May be new professors have better academic credentials. The Lakemore had professors, but now they are improving the quality of the professors. That might have an impact on the enrollments. Option E) Despite having better facilities than other colleges, the enrollments are declining. So with the other changes, the college might increase the enrollments.

If the premise says , they already have the best profs, I guess then Option E) can be the correct answer.

Abhishek009 · Answer

Clearly (E) if one considers this problem from a mathematical angle...

The stimulus claims

Required \ Proportion =  \frac{Students \ attending \ community \ Colleges}{Students \ attending \ Colleges \ ( \ Community \ + \ Non \ Community \ )}

Let us take example of 2 Years -

In Year 1

Students attending community Colleges = 100
Students attending Colleges = 200 ( Students attending community Colleges = Students attending Colleges = 100)

Proportion is 0.50

In Year 2

Students attending community Colleges = 80
Students attending Colleges = 170 ( Students attending community Colleges = 80 &Students attending Colleges = 90)

Proportion is ~ 0.53

See , here clearly the number of students have declined from 100 to 80 ; there is a significant increase in proportion of students attending community colleges ( from 0.50 to 0.53 )

So Lakemore's plan to increase its enrollment is flawed...

Answer will be (E)

Ankit73 · Answer

IMO the answer should be D.

'E' talks about declining enrollments in the past. But, that cannot imply that the current plan will fail as well.

Can someone please post the OE.

chetan2u · Answer

Hi,
D talks of remedial programs of other colleges BUT we are talking of the plan's being talked about..
so D is OUT of context..

We have to find the BEST in the given choices and E is ofcourse the BEST in whatever choices are available..
If the SAME plans have earlier not helped the college, it is a possiblity that they will still fail..

Ankit73 · Answer

Thanks for the explanation.

kkrrsshh · Answer

Could you please revisit why option C strengthens the argument? the argument mentions it will maintain comm with counselors. So there is no enhancement as such in the comm process with counselors. The only variables college is changing are Parking lot and new professors. 
According to opt C, only relationship betn lakemore and counselors is responsible for students attending the college. But as there is no change or improvement in communication/relationship, there will not be any increase in enrollment as well.

kunal_raizada · Answer

To me it is a cause and effect question.
cause : Better facilities
effect : Increase in enrollment

option E say  Cause  is  present  but  Effect  is  absent , therefore the above Cause & Effect relationship is flawed.

Ans. E

Megha1119 · Answer

How is C wrong?
If the reason for enrollment is the relationship between Lakemore and the counselors, then how would providing additional facilities cause an increase in the enrollment?

Would C not weaken the argument?

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The proportion of students attending community colleges has

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