Is Going to an Elite College Worth the Cost? - NYTimes.com

This article in the New York Times is the latest in a series about whether college is worth the price. In monitoring the latest news, I have seen hundreds of these articles, and they seem to proliferate based on how negatively the economy is perceived. The bottom line is that yes, college in general is worth it, but whether or not to attend a specific college over another one may be dependent on the amount of debt you have to accrue. Because money and finances are such individual and personal topics, I am not going to address whether college is important for your child in particular... maybe your child is another Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg, and doesn't need that particular piece of sheepskin. But in general, on a macro level, college is very important. It is trains our teens to contribute to society, even if they are studying a traditional liberal arts education. College opens doors to jobs and ideas that are closed to most high school only graduates. But the most important thing that college does is it teaches you how to think, and opens students up to the possibility of careers that didn't exist 10 minutes ago. Take Zuckerberg for example. As a computer programmer, he expanded on an idea that has spawned an industry, and has created new jobs and possibilities for many college graduates. Maybe Mark didn't need the degree, but I am willing to bet that most of his employees have one. Have you every watched the credits after a Pixar movie? The array of jobs listed that require training and special skills is incredible. 20 years ago, many of those jobs didn't exist. Students who break the mold can stay on the cutting edge by constantly learning new skills, and applying them to new technologies. Another point about college, especially going away to college, that is undervalued is that when students leave home, they usually make a huge leap forward in maturity and the ability to navigate the world without help from their parents. You can't put a price on independence, and much of it is learned through trial and error on college campuses. Yes, college is expensive. Yes, it is 4 years of your life, that can be incredible or stultifying. But the learning that happens on a personal, intellectual and professional level cannot be measures. To paraphrase Mastercard: Exploring to find out who you are, having to take responsibility for yourself, and learning how to learn: Priceless. Is Going to an Elite College Worth the Cost? - NYTimes.com - http://nyti.ms/fb9UxB