College Bound

So much has changed from the way I grew up to the way things are for my son. And this is a good thing. I grew up in a community where the question everyone asked high school seniors was not "Are you going to college?" it was "Where did you get in?" Don't misread me. I do not think there is anything wrong with expecting and wanting your children to go to college. It was never even a consideration in my house. My parents didn't have to expect it because I expected it for myself and wanted to go to college. I'm not so sure my son is clambering to go to college the way I was, but he's looking forward to the experience and knows for the kind of career he wants a college degree will help with job competitiveness and long-term employability.

But back to the questions kids were faced with where I lived as a kid. "What schools did you get into?" and "What's your first choice?" "Did you get in?" People on Long Island were pretty concerned about where their degrees came from.  All the high profile names you hear about in highly competitive circles, all the Ivies- that's where all the kids wanted to go and were expected to receive acceptance letters from. State schools or community colleges weren't even on the radar. I don't even remember kids talking about NYU, and it's private. Really? After one visit to New York City when he was in middle school, my son was ready to go to NYU.

Anyway, moving from New York to Florida just before I started high school, widened my lens and my perspective.  That lens has continued to zoom out as I became an educator and gained a better appreciation for, and understanding of education over the lifespan. Yes, high schools students who get accepted into high profile schools whether for academics or sports, get bragging rights. Perhaps in some cases they get the advantage of specialized programs or famous instructors. But Florida has some pretty solid state schools. We have specialized programs and stellar sports teams throughout the state. And I admit, where I was once impressed by an acceptance letter to a school like Yale or Columbia, that's no longer the case. That's not to diminish the accomplishments of students who earn admittance to and decide to attend these universities. But I'm just not all that impressed. Maybe it's because I no longer buy into what makes a high achieving student in the current public school system.  I'm no longer impressed by the dog and pony show that is the straight A student in all IB classes giving up long hours of their teenage years slaving over homework.

And maybe it's because I know that state schools, and many state colleges (formerly community colleges), and small liberal arts colleges, in most cases can give students just as good an education at any of the bigs. Maybe it's just because I know the truth: No one gives a crap where you went to school unless you are applying to a high profile medical or law school after graduation. Do you have the degree, the credentials? Okay then. Never once on a job interview was I asked where I went to college or was I even asked to talk about any aspect of my college education. No one cares.

So here's the advice I've given my son. I'll share it with the rest of cyberspace. Find a college you can afford with a program you want to study and go there. Study what you want to study in a place you'd like to study, and don't worry so much about the brand name. You know what the difference is between a B.A. or B.S. degree from a state school and one from any other school? Less debt.