As seniors we are pushed on this quest to pick the perfect school, where we will thrive socially, what is prestigious, and will change our global perspective. Wherever I go people ask me where are you thinking of going to college? My aunt’s house, my job, teachers, friends, team mates, you can not escape the question. It feels as if college is the make or break of your future, if you do not go to an amazing college why even go to college at all?
The reason you go to college is to get a college degree. Crazy concept, I know. That often is overlooked, almost an afterthought in picking which college you go to. Getting a college degree is an achievement in itself. Did you know only 61% of high school age students go to college? That’s right, shocking probably, because at NVD it is almost an expectation to go to college or further your education in some way. So take a step back and acknowledge the incredible accomplishment that is going to college.
Some will say no, prestige matters. No one is denying that there is correlation between prestige and student success. But you have to ask yourself, are they successful because they go to Harvard, or are they successful because they are the type of person who can get into Harvard?
When you look at the new US news rankings: University of Florida, University of Illinois, University of Wisconsin, Rutgers, University of Washington, Ohio State, Purdue University, University of Maryland, University of Georgia are all in the top 50 best universities. While these are top colleges, they are not the elite colleges that first come to mind. Why are these colleges ranked so high? They offer amazing opportunities and education for a price that is much more affordable than more elite schools.
Research shows that the majority of American-born CEO’s of the top 100 Fortune 500 companies did not attend elite universities. There was no pattern where they went to school, meaning college does not dictate success. Michael Lindsay reports in the Platinum Study out of 550 American leaders (including 250 top CEOs) over 2 ⁄ 3 graduated from non-elite schools. This can be seen in Pulitzer prize winners and leaders in the fields of science and engineering.
It’s not where you go to college, it’s how you go. What matters is how well you do and how well you make yourself a part of their community. Try new activities, do research at your school, look for competitive internships, and focus on finding what will make you happy.
If you ask your friends’ parents where they went to school, some will say elite colleges, some will say state schools, some will say they never went to college. Do you know what the funny thing is? They all ended up in the same place. So, step back, take a breath, and know that you will be okay.
