Critical Reasoning

According to a recent research study, more than 90% percent of graduates of private high schools in a certain county continue their education in college. By contrast, only 65% of graduates of public high schools subsequently pursue college education. Therefore, if parents in the county wish to increase the likelihood that their children will attend college, they should send them to private rather than public schools.

Which of the following statements would most seriously weaken the argument above?
A)Graduates of private schools typically score higher on standardized tests and other tests of academic achievement.
B)While private schools are typically very expensive, attendance of public school is free for the residents of the county.
C)In comparison with graduates of private schools, a substantially greater proportion of public school graduates receive need-based financial aid for their college education.
D)In comparison with private schools, public schools provide more opportunities for student involvement in sports and other athletic activities, which almost always increase the likelihood of students’ acceptance to colleges.
E)Since most public schools are located in rural areas of the county populated primarily by farmers, nearly 30% of students from public high schools choose to pursue farming occupations rather than apply to colleges.

IMO D.

imo: D

1st identify the conclusion which in this case is the sentence ''Therefore, if parents in the county wish to increase the likelihood that their children will attend college, they should send them to private rather than public schools. ''

a- Does not talk about the conclusion instead provides a premise irrelevant to what is being asked

b- does not talk about admission into colleges - irrelevant

c- talks about financial aid but not the likelihood of children attending college.

d- compares public schools with private schools and talks about likelihood of acceptance into colleges

e- farming occupations? irrelevant.

the OA is E.

The source is Manhattan Gmat.

'E' supports the argument i.e. explains why more public school students do not go to college.

Sorry - I still think D is the answer.

What does manhattan gmat give as an explanation?

According to Manhattan Gmat

(E) CORRECT. This answer choice demonstrates that the difference in the percentage of graduates attending colleges stems not from any advantage provided by private schools but from the fact that a subset of the graduates of public high schools simply choose to pursue a different career path. In other words, 30% of the graduates of public schools voluntarily choose not to pursue a college education. Yet 65% - out of the 70% of graduates remaining - end up in colleges. This statement indicates extremely high college matriculation rates for students who want to attend college after graduation from public high schools.

Thanks csandeepreddy

what does mgmat say for D? why is it wrong

(D) While better athletic opportunities could increase students’ chances of admission to college, they are unrelated to whether students will actually attend college. Also, even though the advantages of public school mentioned in this statement were taken into account by the study, the proportion of graduates of public schools attending colleges remains substantially lower than the proportion of graduates of private schools.

csandeepreddy wrote:(D) While better athletic opportunities could increase students’ chances of admission to college, they are unrelated to whether students will actually attend college. Also, even though the advantages of public school mentioned in this statement were taken into account by the study, the proportion of graduates of public schools attending colleges remains substantially lower than the proportion of graduates of private schools.

Thank you. Makes sense.

In my opinion this is just another example of mgmat questions having arbitrary answer choices.

If the conclusion to the statement had been "Private school students have better odds of attending college than do public school students", I agree with E. However, the way the statement reads I believe D is correct.

Don't get me wrong I love mgmat and everything they do, I just feel some of their verbal questions have arbitrary logic.

There is nothing wrong with E

D says more public students goes to college bcoz extra facilities but as per Qn it is low so thr is something else

Let me know whats your doubt about D, i will try tp answer.

Had D been about trivate schools.. than it could have justified

csandeepreddy wrote:According to a recent research study, more than 90% percent of graduates of private high schools in a certain county continue their education in college. By contrast, only 65% of graduates of public high schools subsequently pursue college education. Therefore, if parents in the county wish to increase the likelihood that their children will attend college, they should send them to private rather than public schools.

Which of the following statements would most seriously weaken the argument above?
A)Graduates of private schools typically score higher on standardized tests and other tests of academic achievement.
B)While private schools are typically very expensive, attendance of public school is free for the residents of the county.
C)In comparison with graduates of private schools, a substantially greater proportion of public school graduates receive need-based financial aid for their college education.
D)In comparison with private schools, public schools provide more opportunities for student involvement in sports and other athletic activities, which almost always increase the likelihood of students? acceptance to colleges.
E)Since most public schools are located in rural areas of the county populated primarily by farmers, nearly 30% of students from public high schools choose to pursue farming occupations rather than apply to colleges.

Why not D ?

Well, even if choice D is true, we still know it's also true that only 65% of students from public schools go on to college (while 90% from private schools do.) Choice D does not negate this fact. Let's say choice D weren't true (denial test): if public schools didn't provide these extra opportunities, then, the fraction of students from public schools going on to college would surely be less than 65%, maybe around 40 or 50 percent. But with these extra opportunities that choice D discusses, this percentage goes up to 65%. But 65% is still less than 90%. (This is what MGMAT's explanation means when it says that the study has already factored this in.)

So, choice D is a common kind of wrong answer in weaken. It's an answer choice that tempts you to put less weight on evidence discussed in the passage. But evidence in the passage is always true. So in weaken, avoid choices that you think are contradicting stated evidence.

In order to weaken an argument, we need to attack its reasoning, not the facts on which the argument is built.

Choice E, in contrast to choice D, attacks the author's reasoning: The author assumes that the reason fewer public school kids go on to college is beacause of the inferior education that students receive at public schools. Choice E effectively attaks this assumption by establishing that many public school kids don't go on to college because of choice (rather than an inferior education).

Testluv wrote:Well, even if choice D is true, we still know it's also true that only 65% of students from public schools go on to college (while 90% from private schools do.) Choice D does not negate this fact. Let's say choice D weren't true (denial test): if public schools didn't provide these extra opportunities, then, the fraction of students from public schools going on to college would surely be less than 65%, maybe around 40 or 50 percent. But with these extra opportunities that choice D discusses, this percentage goes up to 65%. But 65% is still less than 90%. (This is what MGMAT's explanation means when it says that the study has already factored this in.)

So, choice D is a common kind of wrong answer in weaken. It's an answer choice that tempts you to put less weight on evidence discussed in the passage. But evidence in the passage is always true. So in weaken, avoid choices that you think are contradicting stated evidence.

In order to weaken an argument, we need to attack its reasoning, not the facts on which the argument is built.

Choice E, in contrast to choice D, attacks the author's reasoning: The author assumes that the reason fewer public school kids go on to college is beacause of the inferior education that students receive at public schools. Choice E effectively attaks this assumption by establishing that many public school kids don't go on to college because of choice (rather than an inferior education).

By what u have explained..
i can understand that the area under contention out here is NOT how public school will help higher rate of college intake, but why public school fellows dont goto college

right ??


I am kinda still not convinced..

Conclusion is : if parents in the county wish to increase the likelihood that their children will attend college, they should send them to private rather than public schools.

You have hit the ASSUMPTION , right ?

But conclusion forces to hit option D right ??

We will weaken the conclusion or assumption...!! ??