Something to think about when choosing a college this spring

[Anonymous]

Holy shit : Private universities cost $ 60,000/ year now.... and look at the ROI :

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/10/06/0628_payscale3/1.htm

[Anonymous]

Haven't heard of most of these places, which explains the low ROI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haven't heard of most of these places, which explains the low ROI.

Really, you haven't heard of Skidmore college ? ( tuition $58,000 , from their website this year)

[Anonymous]

She said most, not all. I have heard of only three of them.

[Anonymous]

I have heard of almost all of them, but I work in higher ed. Many of these are very good schools; others, not so much.

I find this entire thing to be so stupid. People need to think about college education in broader terms than earning power. The point of going to college is to develop as a person - in all of our many dimensions. That is, to become better educated generally, to prepare for a lifetime of work (not just "a job"), to learn how to be a lifelong learner (since the job that you get when you first get out of college is quite likely not to even exist 10 years hence), and to be a good citizen, informed voter, etc. The media keeps generating these idiotic articles about "the 5 most employable majors" and drawing attention to short-sighted and flawed "reports" about higher education.

The fact that this particular article reports on an "investment" that does not account for the financial aid that these colleges offer is exactly what I'm talking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I find this entire thing to be so stupid. People need to think about college education in broader terms than earning power. The point of going to college is to develop as a person - in all of our many dimensions.

Sadly, many people don't have this luxury anymore. They need marketable, easily defined skills in order to support themselves. Learning about novels from a Marxist professor doesn't really fit into that for the average working-class kid who is saddled with a ton of debt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I find this entire thing to be so stupid. People need to think about college education in broader terms than earning power. The point of going to college is to develop as a person - in all of our many dimensions.

Sadly, many people don't have this luxury anymore. They need marketable, easily defined skills in order to support themselves. Learning about novels from a Marxist professor doesn't really fit into that for the average working-class kid who is saddled with a ton of debt.

And with so many schools charging $60K, even middle and upper-middle class kids are going to be saddled with tons of debt.

[Anonymous]

My closest friend who went to Skidmore has had a lot of trouble establishing herself professionally.

[Anonymous]

The idea that one should invest a quarter of a million dollars they do not have to "develop as a person" is exactly what is wrong with higher education. Schools inflate grades, courses get easier, and a Bachelor's Degree has become relatively worthless. It would make much more sense to promote trade schools and have students learn crafts, make a Bachelor's degree more difficult to obtain by abolishing ridiculous grade inflation and tearing down party school atmospheres. College might be a time when we "grow" and "develop" in to our adult selves, but it should actually be about learning in the classroom and not learning in the frat house.

Now, before you get defensive, of course there are many students who do take advantage of their educational opportunities, but both schools and student populations need to change their attitudes about what college is really supposed to be about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The idea that one should invest a quarter of a million dollars they do not have to "develop as a person" is exactly what is wrong with higher education. Schools inflate grades, courses get easier, and a Bachelor's Degree has become relatively worthless. It would make much more sense to promote trade schools and have students learn crafts, make a Bachelor's degree more difficult to obtain by abolishing ridiculous grade inflation and tearing down party school atmospheres. College might be a time when we "grow" and "develop" in to our adult selves, but it should actually be about learning in the classroom and not learning in the frat house.

Now, before you get defensive, of course there are many students who do take advantage of their educational opportunities, but both schools and student populations need to change their attitudes about what college is really supposed to be about.

I don't mind paying $60,000/year for my daughter's education. We have the money and she is a serious student. Any school with Greek life came off her list of possible colleges. I think that her liberal arts education will make her a better person and that it will ultimately pay off from a financial perspective. Students with BA/BS degrees from rigorous colleges might not find jobs immediately but in the long run their skills are valued and marketable. Ask any manager in a professional field; the ability to write and think critically are always valued and in demand.

I do agree with you that students who squander the opportunity to become educated by focusing on partying and frat life are wasting time and money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The idea that one should invest a quarter of a million dollars they do not have to "develop as a person" is exactly what is wrong with higher education. Schools inflate grades, courses get easier, and a Bachelor's Degree has become relatively worthless. It would make much more sense to promote trade schools and have students learn crafts, make a Bachelor's degree more difficult to obtain by abolishing ridiculous grade inflation and tearing down party school atmospheres. College might be a time when we "grow" and "develop" in to our adult selves, but it should actually be about learning in the classroom and not learning in the frat house.

Now, before you get defensive, of course there are many students who do take advantage of their educational opportunities, but both schools and student populations need to change their attitudes about what college is really supposed to be about.

I don't mind paying $60,000/year for my daughter's education. We have the money and she is a serious student. Any school with Greek life came off her list of possible colleges. I think that her liberal arts education will make her a better person and that it will ultimately pay off from a financial perspective. Students with BA/BS degrees from rigorous colleges might not find jobs immediately but in the long run their skills are valued and marketable. Ask any manager in a professional field; the ability to write and think critically are always valued and in demand.

I do agree with you that students who squander the opportunity to become educated by focusing on partying and frat life are wasting time and money.

But paying $240,000 and four years of your life "expanding your mind" is really a rich family's luxury, even if DC stays out of the frats. I say this as a mom about to send DC off to one of these $60,000/year schools.

[Anonymous]

is a skidmore what you find in dirty undies?

[Anonymous]

Skidmore? No, not really a college I think of when I think "desirable" or "gee, I want dd to apply there."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The idea that one should invest a quarter of a million dollars they do not have to "develop as a person" is exactly what is wrong with higher education. Schools inflate grades, courses get easier, and a Bachelor's Degree has become relatively worthless. It would make much more sense to promote trade schools and have students learn crafts, make a Bachelor's degree more difficult to obtain by abolishing ridiculous grade inflation and tearing down party school atmospheres. College might be a time when we "grow" and "develop" in to our adult selves, but it should actually be about learning in the classroom and not learning in the frat house.

Now, before you get defensive, of course there are many students who do take advantage of their educational opportunities, but both schools and student populations need to change their attitudes about what college is really supposed to be about.

I don't mind paying $60,000/year for my daughter's education. We have the money and she is a serious student. Any school with Greek life came off her list of possible colleges. I think that her liberal arts education will make her a better person and that it will ultimately pay off from a financial perspective. Students with BA/BS degrees from rigorous colleges might not find jobs immediately but in the long run their skills are valued and marketable. Ask any manager in a professional field; the ability to write and think critically are always valued and in demand.

I do agree with you that students who squander the opportunity to become educated by focusing on partying and frat life are wasting time and money.

But paying $240,000 and four years of your life "expanding your mind" is really a rich family's luxury, even if DC stays out of the frats. I say this as a mom about to send DC off to one of these $60,000/year schools.

I think the expanding one's mind is part and parcel to why liberal arts grads from good colleges do as well as they do later in life both personally and professionally.

And no doubt it is a rich family's luxury to spend this kind of money, but these same schools offer up a boatload in scholarship money. I work for a non-profit and one of the student's who is part of this program is attending the same school as my kid for $2,000 per year - got the rest as a first generation college student. I know that one of the reason's we pay $60,000 per year is to enable others who can't afford it to also attend. And that is a good thing in the long run - for my kid and for the scholarship recipient.

And while there are those who can't afford it, and those who won't get tremendous scholarships, I think abandoning the brain trust of this country to the kinds of applied/vocational studies that result in quick job offers upon graduation would be short-sighted for our country in the long term. I think a strong country and the chances for a strong future require both avenues of study.

[Anonymous]

The moral is -- don't go to a no name school? duh!

I've only heard of three. One is a joke - fairly ridiculous Fairleigh Dickinson.