Yale Class

Topics Addressed

1. Sample Surveys
2. Demography

Time magazine reported in the late 1950s that "the average Yaleman, class of 1924, makes $ 25,111 a year," which would be equivalent to well over $ 150,000 today (the sexism in this sentence was not in Time's statement but in Yale's admission policies in the 1920s: only men were admitted to Yale in those days). Time's estimate turns out to have been based on replies received to a sample survey questionnaire mailed to those members of the Yale class of 1924 whose addresses were known in the late 1950s by the Yale administration.

What is the population? Was the method used in selecting the sample likely to produce representativeness?

Are there possible sources of bias in the sampling procedure?

Based on this, would you say that Time's estimate is likely to have been too high, too low, or about right?

Explain briefly.