For those with College seniors...

[Larry Frank]

Interesting thread....but not certain I agree with everything.

Just like anything else, one needs to put in time and effort to understand and work within the system and use it to your advantage. Some top ranked technical schools have very high placement rates for graduates.

One can complain about the system but I did everything possible to give my kids help. They went to a top ranked engineering school and found great jobs and are successful in their fields.

[andrew whicker]

I'm an ex engineer from Purdue (bachelor only) and i would not have wanted to graduate from the school in Ogden UT (where I live now) as an engineer because it wouldn't have been as good of an education.

So I do think it matters. Do I think Purdue vs MIT is much different for UNDER grad? I've wondered this a lot. The education probably wouldn't be that much different. However, the diploma would have been a lot more valuable for that first job. And if my first job paid me X more income per year, then my starting point would be higher and then every year after would be higher, etc etc. I think the practical 'go to the local place down the street' argument isn't entirely correct IF you have the ability to go to a more trusted / more expensive school. If you are a single parent, if you working two jobs and still want to get a diploma, etc. then yes, go practical. If you're a HS'er with good grades and have the means to go to a 'good' school, then go to the good school.

I mainly get aggravated at the cost argument from the perspective of older people telling younger people to just simply work while in college. Like $10 / hr in today's economy (before inflation) would do anything to offset the cost of today's college. It's a bad faith argument and everyone knows it. I also think it's nutty (and another one of those super hard work American-isms) that we EXPECT people to get an excellent, life changing education while working a job. We just expect students to pretty much suffer for 4 years because that's how expensive it is to get an education. It's like we're trying to solve the college education problem by requiring the students to do more instead of cutting out fluff, giving minimalist finance options, etc. and letting themselves focus on education.

Especially with my experience, I could have not worked one hour and filled all of my time to the brim with engineering related opportunities. Those opportunities are not available in the post college real world and it's sad that many students don't get to fully dive into these experiences because they are working at McD's to pay rent. Not saying I know what the answer is, but as I get older I buy less into the American 'work your butt off and only work your butt off' solution to every single problem we have.

[Kevin Jenness]

I'm an ex engineer from Purdue (bachelor only) and i would not have wanted to graduate from the school in Ogden UT (where I live now) as an engineer because it wouldn't have been as good of an education.

So I do think it matters. Do I think Purdue vs MIT is much different for UNDER grad? I've wondered this a lot. The education probably wouldn't be that much different. However, the diploma would have been a lot more valuable for that first job. And if my first job paid me X more income per year, then my starting point would be higher and then every year after would be higher, etc etc. I think the practical 'go to the local place down the street' argument isn't entirely correct IF you have the ability to go to a more trusted / more expensive school. If you are a single parent, if you working two jobs and still want to get a diploma, etc. then yes, go practical. If you're a HS'er with good grades and have the means to go to a 'good' school, then go to the good school.

I mainly get aggravated at the cost argument from the perspective of older people telling younger people to just simply work while in college. Like $10 / hr in today's economy (before inflation) would do anything to offset the cost of today's college. It's a bad faith argument and everyone knows it. I also think it's nutty (and another one of those super hard work American-isms) that we EXPECT people to get an excellent, life changing education while working a job. We just expect students to pretty much suffer for 4 years because that's how expensive it is to get an education. It's like we're trying to solve the college education problem by requiring the students to do more instead of cutting out fluff, giving minimalist finance options, etc. and letting themselves focus on education.

Especially with my experience, I could have not worked one hour and filled all of my time to the brim with engineering related opportunities. Those opportunities are not available in the post college real world and it's sad that many students don't get to fully dive into these experiences because they are working at McD's to pay rent. Not saying I know what the answer is, but as I get older I buy less into the American 'work your butt off and only work your butt off' solution to every single problem we have.

I agree with you in large part. Going to the "best" school one can get into is a great idea, but knowing what the best for a given individual is difficult, and these days it's easy to come out shouldering an unpayable debt. If the choice is between filling every hour with study or working part-time at Micky D's, the former is probably a better long term investment. Unfortunately a lot of young people are in school because of parental/societal expectations and the choice is between lab time and beer pong.

[Stan Calow]

I don't think the OP was about whether "good schools" were worth it or not, but rather the ridiculous process it takes to get into those schools. The idea that acceptance is based on some kind of meritocracy is laughable. The whole Stanford scandal shows just how corrupt and manipulable the process is. That is, if you have the resources and connections to make it happen.

[Jack Frederick]

I’ve watched this thread for a few days. My girls finished school 18+ yrs ago. We got both of them out of school debt free. That did not happen for me and we were happy to do so. My view on this entire process is that it is an opportunity, at a critical time as they begin to leave the nest, to understand that as Cat Steven’s said, “Oooo, baby, it’s a wild world…” The process is difficult at best and in my experience as in life, fairness, well, you have to represent yourself diligently. Leaving for school is an apprenticeship. The school does little to prepare them so you have to stay with them teaching them that life is great, but keep your eyes open.
When my first daughter went to school we had the car loaded up and we were all in, the car running. I asked my daughter to come with me and we abandoned ship & walked up to the front door. I unlocked it and opened it telling her that it is indeed a wild world and that regardless of what happens out there, that this door will always open for her.