DEBUNKING THE COLLEGE SELECTION MYTHS
With the May 1st D-Day quickly approaching, we thought it appropriate to debunk some of the numerous myths surrounding making a college choice.
It’s best to anticipate your desired career, knowing that your school choice offers that major. Your college major need not dictate what you ultimately may determine to be your future career. Many college graduates pursue careers having no connection or relation to their major.
It’s best to know what you will choose as a major prior to making a college determination. Most entering freshmen have no clear idea of what they may ultimately determine to be their major. In fact, most colleges don’t require a selection until after completing their sophomore year. Your initial years should allow you the time to evaluate and be open to all possibilities.
Your college major will commit you to a specific career path. While your selection of a specific college major may align with your interests and career goals, many students discover new interests and career paths after graduation. Job opportunities, post-graduate studies, and self-discovery can often open the door to the unplanned and unanticipated.
The highest tuitions equate to the best colleges. The cost to attend a specific college may have less to do with their standing and more to do with other factors that impact what it costs. Where they are located, the faculty-student ratio, endowments, alumni contributions, and scholarships play a part in what a school may charge for tuition.
The highest-ranked and most prestigious college is always the best choice. This may not be true at all. In fact, the better choice is the school that best aligns with your interests, goals, learning style, financial needs, and desired cultural environment.
Getting a degree from an Ivy League school provides an advantage to future employers. A degree from what may be considered a pedigree college may provide an edge in securing your first employment after graduation. However, it is more likely that you will leave your initial employment and the school from which you graduated will most likely have far less value as a meaningful credential. It is the experience, professional qualities, and accomplishments demonstrated during your prior employment that will most likely determine your success.
Graduating from an Eastern college is considered better than having a degree from anywhere else. It is fair to state that the geographic location of a school has absolutely nothing to do with its quality or even its value carried forward. Some of the most highly regarded schools are, in fact, located throughout the U.S.
Private colleges are more expensive than public state universities. Don’t rule out some smaller private colleges. They are anxious to have students whom they view as capable of graduating from their program. Many small schools have scholarships and financial resources that will make their tuition competitive and affordable.
Small colleges do not have sufficient resources to ready their students for post-graduate work. Getting accepted into a medical school, law school, or any post-graduate studies school is largely determined by the grades and abilities of an undergraduate.
Graduates with a liberal arts degree are virtually unemployable. There are numerous companies that choose to only hire liberal arts grads. They view these potential employees as well-rounded and able to adapt to many different roles within their corporations.
What is most important for all students applying to college and for those that may be fortunate enough to have a choice in where they attend is to recognize that some of their best learning will happen after graduating college. It is imperative to seek a school that is not just an academic fit but one that provides an experience-broadening environment and provides a solid foundation that prepares them for the future.