Good College or Famous College?
That is the question.
I know, I’m a broken record. Just because you’ve heard of the name of a school or have been told that a certain school is “good” because of how selective it is doesn’t mean it’s the right school for you.
Seth Godin puts this so eloquently when he says that education is taken as much as given and where “good” may really mean “famous”.
College Confusion
By Seth Godin
Read this article online
While a high-status college admission confers a measure of status, it doesn’t automatically grant a great education.
Sometimes, a student gets both, but not always. Because learning is taken as much as given.
Along the way, many of us have conflated the status with the learning.
We’re also confused about the correlation between big college sports and the expected outputs of a university.
One symptom: We often say “good college” when we mean “famous college.”
And so, the college one goes to doesn’t tell us very much at all about what someone learned, or even about who they are. It merely demonstrates that when they were 18 years old, a combination of luck and signaling led to them being chosen (or not).
It’s not personal. And it’s not predictive. Unless we allow it to be.
Do you have questions about the college admissions process or the above information? Don’t hesitate to contact me at info@signaturecollegecounseling.com or by phone, 845.551.6946.
