WeakenDiff: Medium
Logic Breakdown
Passage Summary: A dean argues their school is worth the tuition because most of their graduates end up working in the field they studied.
Conclusion: The journalism school's curriculum provides significant value to its student body.
Reasoning: Data shows that sixty-five percent of the school's graduates successfully obtained employment or internships within the journalism industry.
Analysis: To weaken this defense, we need to find a reason why that 65% figure isn't actually a sign of the school's 'value.' Perhaps the industry average for placement is 90%, making this school look like a failure by comparison, or maybe the 'jobs' were mostly unpaid internships that didn't require a degree. Look for an answer that provides context that makes this statistic look unimpressive or irrelevant to the quality of the education. The dean is banking on us being impressed by a simple majority, so we need to find the catch.
Conclusion: The journalism school's curriculum provides significant value to its student body.
Reasoning: Data shows that sixty-five percent of the school's graduates successfully obtained employment or internships within the journalism industry.
Analysis: To weaken this defense, we need to find a reason why that 65% figure isn't actually a sign of the school's 'value.' Perhaps the industry average for placement is 90%, making this school look like a failure by comparison, or maybe the 'jobs' were mostly unpaid internships that didn't require a degree. Look for an answer that provides context that makes this statistic look unimpressive or irrelevant to the quality of the education. The dean is banking on us being impressed by a simple majority, so we need to find the catch.
Passage Stimulus
Passage Redacted
Unlock Full Passage5.Which one of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the defense offered by the dean?
Correct Answer
A
If more than half of the students already came from jobs in journalism, the 65 percent post-graduation placement rate could simply reflect their preexisting employment prospects rather than any value added by the program. That directly undermines the dean’s use of the statistic as a defense.
Upgrade Your Prep
Ready to go beyond free explanations?
LSAT Perfection is the #1 modern LSAT prep platform, trusted by thousands of students for comprehensive test strategies, advanced drilling, and full analytics on every PrepTest.
Detailed explanations for 59 PrepTests
Advanced drillset builder
Personalized analytics
Built-in Wrong Answer Journal