How is it possible that only 50% go to college?

[Anonymous]

My ILs don't think going to college is all that important. DH went but his two siblings did not. His nieces and nephews did not. According to BIL, in his experience, most people who start college drop out and are left with debt so it's a waste of time. Our 20-30ish yr old nieces and nephews include: one learned auto mechanics in HS and now has his own business, one is in the military, one works for a commercial builder, one works for an insurance company that trains so staff can advance without a degree, one did community college to become a medical assistant and works at a doctor's office.

They live in a pretty affordable East Coast city. Some have kids. They are generally doing fine in life.

My kids are in college and I wanted that for them but I understand there are others paths to a happy, productive life

[Anonymous]

Do you really not realize you live in a bubble? Having a college education makes you more likely to end up surrounded by other people with college degrees through work, neighborhood, social circles, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Feel sorry for you OP. Obviously, college was wasted on you.

Well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you really not realize you live in a bubble? Having a college education makes you more likely to end up surrounded by other people with college degrees through work, neighborhood, social circles, etc.

Agree with this. We are in a bubble. I would say the non college educated are also in their own bubble - they don’t value the education enough to pursue it when their neighborhood, family, colleagues, and social circles don’t have college degrees and feel they ‘are doing fine.’ Shrug 🤷‍♀️

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You live here. My public Ffx Co HS had 98% go onto a 4-year college. And the others mostly still went to community college.

My spouse from the Midwest had only about 50% go onto a 4-year college--and it was a middle class HS.

I went to a rural Title 1 HS in upstate NY. Typically 20-25% went to college and half of them went to CC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only people I know who didn't go to college are family members who don't make much. How could it be that only 50% go? Everyone else I know has at least a bachelor's and usually more.

I bet you wonder what all those seats are for on the other side of the curtain on an airliner, because you never met anyone who didn’t fly 1st class.

Holy crap. Get out more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only people I know who didn't go to college are family members who don't make much. How could it be that only 50% go? Everyone else I know has at least a bachelor's and usually more.

… and this is why half the country calls you a “liberal elite” and says that you live in a bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A 2022 Fed Survey found that about 37% of Americans could not cover an unexpected $400 expense. How do you think families in those situations (or those doing only slightly better) are going to pay for college?

Tbf, those families usually get the most aid

If $400 is impossible for you, then a financial aid package that brings to total COA down to a few thousand is also close to impossible, and those kinds of packages are usually limited to a the small number of schools that are both meet full need and need blind.

[Anonymous]

I teach in MCPS. Only one-third of our students (my high school) go directly to a 4 year college. Some probably drop out but we don’t track that data. Another 50% go on to Montgomery College. At least half of those students most likely drop out before getting their associates degree. This is in your backyard but probably invisible to most of you

[Anonymous]

+ I live in part of the country (not DMV) that’s surrounded by pockets of both rural and urban poverty. However, Most of the people I know have college degrees from state flagships or selective privates, because we live in our affluent professional bubble with gated communities, private schools, expensive opportunities, etc. However, the reality outside our bubble is different. Many outside our bubble have different paths, realities and aspirations. That doesn’t make those things any less valuable than the things we value inside our bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+ I live in part of the country (not DMV) that’s surrounded by pockets of both rural and urban poverty. However, Most of the people I know have college degrees from state flagships or selective privates, because we live in our affluent professional bubble with gated communities, private schools, expensive opportunities, etc. However, the reality outside our bubble is different. Many outside our bubble have different paths, realities and aspirations. That doesn’t make those things any less valuable than the things we value inside our bubble.

Yes it does. Getting into a place with a 30% admit rate means more than getting into a place with a 90% admit rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only people I know who didn't go to college are family members who don't make much. How could it be that only 50% go? Everyone else I know has at least a bachelor's and usually more.

Please get out more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only people I know who didn't go to college are family members who don't make much. How could it be that only 50% go? Everyone else I know has at least a bachelor's and usually more.

It’s time to leave your bubble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A 2022 Fed Survey found that about 37% of Americans could not cover an unexpected $400 expense. How do you think families in those situations (or those doing only slightly better) are going to pay for college?

Tbf, those families usually get the most aid

Unless it covers the cost 100%, chances are they can’t afford college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A 2022 Fed Survey found that about 37% of Americans could not cover an unexpected $400 expense. How do you think families in those situations (or those doing only slightly better) are going to pay for college?

Tbf, those families usually get the most aid

Unless it covers the cost 100%, chances are they can’t afford college.

There are quite a few colleges that meet full need, and a couple that provide aid for people making under a certain income.