Recently, I wrote What Colleges Don’t Tell You, an attempt to help the college- and graduate-school bound make a more eyes-open decision about whether to attend college.
Here, I assume you’ll be going to college or graduate school. I address two important, too often unasked questions: one about where to go, the other about when to go.
Should I choose the most selective institution? Most people choose the most selective college or graduate school they can get into. That's understandable. An institution’s selectivity signals how bright and hard working the students are. So employers are more likely to be impressed by Stanford than by Slippery Rock. But is that advantage always dispositive? That is, should selectivity trump all other factors?
Often not. Of course, some students do thrive best in the most high-powered student body possible. But other students do better as the big fish in the less selective pond. The question is, “What about you?”
Also, the most selective institutions are the most likely to have the most challenging instruction. Are you really served by the most rigorous academic courses---reading six Shakespearean plays in-depth rather than a more moderate exploration of three? Think of the opportunity cost? If the courses aren't so rigorous, there's more time for extracurricular activities, which may yield greater real-world growth and, oh yeah, be more fun.
As a commenter pointed out, if you're a bright star among lesser lights, you're more likely to snag student leadership positions, have a great GPA, and be mentored by a professor, which enhance your learning and your prospects for career and graduate school.
Plus, most colleges discount heavily to students they particularly want to attract, for example, students with a track record that's above the student body's average. By attending the most selective college you get into, you’re less likely to get a big discount.
The most extreme example of not choosing the most selective college is to opt for a community college, sometimes called a junior college. That is the most underrated option and, ironically, often the wisest.. Not only are community colleges far less expensive, instruction is often better because, unlikely at research-centric universities, faculty is hired and promoted largely on how well they teach. And a seeming minus of community colleges---they usually don’t offer dormitories--is a plus for many undergraduates. Many if not most 18-or 19-year-olds do better with another year or two under a parent’s watchful eye than in a dorm, that minimally supervised group housing in which students away from parents for the first time can, if only because of peer pressure, get more involved in undesirable activities than they otherwise might. And dorms are loud—far worse places to study than at home.
Should I take a gap year before going? If you’re really into school---not just the extracurriculars--you may want to go straight from high school to college or from college to grad school. But many students could use a break, for example, for some real-world experience. In addition to re-energizing the person for more academic work, that real-world experience may enable the student to get into a more selective institution that s/he could otherwise have been admitted to.
Of course, the value of a gap year depends on what you do during that time. Obviously, it’s better to find a career-relevant internship and perhaps some exploratory experiences like volunteering in a third-world orphanage than to sleep late, watch soaps, play video games, chat with friends, and get high.
The takeaway
With the possible exception of a home, higher education is the largest purchase most people ever make. It’s certainly an enormous commitment of time. Be thoughtful about whether it's wise to opt for the fanciest brand name and whether you should defer school in favor of a real-world gap year.
Dr. Nemko is a career and education coach. You can reach him at mnemko@comcast.net.
