[marsten]

This is exactly right. Gone are the days when you could get a C+ average at Harvard and still land a good job or a spot in a prestigious law program – purely by virtue of having gone to Harvard.

Everyone is in competition now. Everyone has to prove their worth, all the time. It's more egalitarian but it also creates a lot of stress.

[meroes]

Egalitarian?

Let me explain healthcare right now.

To get into a radiation tech program, there are 260 applicants, almost all with all As, for 20 slots at my local community college.

Maybe in the very first instant you’d think it’s merit based. But, EVERYONE is playing the game. Getting homework and tests from friends who already took the class, taking classes at several different schools to get the easier teachers, paying multiple times the tuition cost on tutors and other study aides (eg $2k+ for all the anatomy models), every demographic is using paid ChatGPT. We all know which teachers to take. We spend much of class strategizing like this.

Every single student. It’s just another game to play or you lose.

[throwaway2037]

Real question: If people are that good at grinding (it is a legit skill), why don't they go for something better, like a 4-year university degree in STEM or medicine? They can make much more money.

Also, how do they decide which students to pick? And I would love to know the gender ratio.

[meroes]

One reason is rad tech and similar are all over Tik Tok.

Another reason is these people know how to grind, but can’t afford a 4 year program.

[throwaway2037]

    > but can’t afford a 4 year program

I thought there has been a huge increase in need-based scholarships for US university fees in the last 15 years. More than just rich schools. Many state universities also offer quite good need-based scholarships based upon your own income + net worth and that of your parents.

[meroes]

Yes state schools are. That’s why it’s so competitive as well. $4-$6k at the state school vs $50K+ at private.

There’s one state school for my program within 100 miles of me (physical therapy assistant)

And a four year program is still 2 extra years of tuition even at the subsidized amount, and most would work fewer hours if at all because they need high GPAs.

[cucumber3732842]

Even among trades where you can move up the initial ranks simply by showing up sober and working once you get to the point where you want to level up by striking out on your own it's all the same shit. Instead of paying a tutor you're paying a consultant and/or an accountant to tell you the answer. Instead of the school or licensing board asking you questions where wrong answers will have an opportunity cost of many dollars it's the government.

[lII1lIlI11ll]

Just out of curiosity, where do all those hyper-competitive 260 applicants expect to work after graduating "radiation tech program" in a community college? And how much approximately do they expect to get paid for it?

[meroes]

Rad tech is like $130k+ per year in the Bay Area. And if you specialize even more. I know one in a hospital in Marin making $150k+.

That much pay for a 2 year program is very hard to beat.

[bluegatty]

This is basically the 'extreme version' aka 'extreme scarcity'.

At that point, it has almost nothing to do with regular education and institutions.

It's cray cray land

[bluefirebrand]

I'm skeptical that it is really more egalitarian in practice, anyways.

There is still a lot of bias and in -group preferences present in hiring. Not to mention that most places will weight candidates who are recommended by employees higher than unconnected external applicants. That might be a reasonable filter but it unquestionably is not egalitarian

[bluegatty]

It's vastly more egalitarian than it was before- - that said, it's still a bit closed, but the manner in which it is closed is more related to 'hyper competition' than anything.

Admissions for elite schools is just crazy - they can't go purely by 'scores', they have gender/national/racial issues which are actual quite real, even if it becomes unfair - there is just no way to do it in the ultra egalitarian way in which some would want.

It's a very scarce resource and that's it.

If it were a 'common' thing - like local state college, then it takes a different form. But the acute nature of the situation really brings out some ugly dynamics.