Selecting the RIGHT College

When a future employer reads your resume, are they going to care about where you went to college? The answer may suprise you. Once you get past your first job out of college, most employers give little consideration to the college name on your diploma.

Dr. Andrew Hacker is the author of Money: Who Has How Much and Why, a new book about the power of money. In his book, Dr. Hacker also focuses on the role of education in determining wealth. He states that Americans cannot get by on less than a bachelor's degree and an advanced degree is preferred. Then he goes on to say, "Once you get the B.A., it can be from Texas Tech or Saint Olaf, and within a short period of time that's good enough." He says simply that it is largely immaterial which institution grants the degree.

Whie some might disagree with Dr. Hacker, it is hard to argue with his statistics. He notes that out of the executives of the country's 100 largest companies, only 11 attended Ivy League universities. The majority attended local public or private colleges. How important then is a college's name recognition in the college selection process?

For some students, it's a confidence booster to be accepted for admission at a high-profile college. The actual admission decision may give other selection factors primary importance. Most important, the student must match up well with their college of choice. Program choice, location and financial considerations are the key ingrediants for many students and their families today. With colleges as with other major financial decisions, the product is always more important than the label. Do high profile colleges deserve their fine reputation? Certainly they do, but image is not a guarenty that this is the right college for you the student. Look beyond the packaging and find the college that offers academic excellence with the least disruption to your lifestyle or finances and you will be making the right choice.

Article supplied by College Planning Network.

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