Got my copy of the latest US News & World Report today, the annual college ratings issue. This afternoon, The PBS News featured an interview with Brian Kelly, the Editor of the mag and a talking head from a think tank called the Education Conservancy (?). Kelly was defiantly defensive (his lead editorial in the magazine has a headline "We've taken some criticism lately, but...") and the other guy was equally adamant that the ratings do both colleges and students a disservice by trying to quantify a "good" education and by indirectly discrediting colleges and universities which are not highly rated. The PBS interviewer was appropriately suspicious of the magazine's motives and the consequences, intened or otherwise, of publishing these ratings every year. I was struck by the fact that the interview pretty much re-hashed the contents of a letter I wrote last year, which they actually published. to my utter amazement. The letter follows:
U.S. News & World Report 08/21/06 (Published!)
“College Ratings”
Editor:
Contrary to appearances, your college ratings are an egregious disservice to High School Seniors, most of whom are already facing almost unbearable pressure from parents and others to overcome lottery-like odds by gaining acceptance into one of these "elite" institutions.
College education is overrated as it is. Even advanced degrees no longer assure one of economic security, much less a meaningful and self-fulfilling career.
Obviously, graduating from a "highly rated" college or university confers advantages to young job seekers. What's not so obvious is that a dedicated and conscientious student can get an excellent education from almost any accredited school. In the long run, satisfying and remunerative employment depend much more on good habits than simply graduating from the "right school." Ironically, "grade inflation" in many of these "better" schools is unlikely to stimulate serious study habits.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
college graduation is needed for access to most high end income private sector jobs, unless yrs of experience can be substituted for it !!
my writing skills and grammar should show all that i do not have such a degree
being a 9th grade drop-out, GED holder who works along side college grads all, in my last two jobs, it clear to me many with the diploma's hanging on their walls. have no clue about history, or politics, or the world they live in, ( the same thing, for a political opinion without historical foundations is pure stupidity )
when speaking of their college yrs their fondest memories are of drugs and sex,
watching the recent "don't taze me bro" incident at Fla State, and the highly accredited Ivy League grads with their rabid anti-war, hate the USA, and 9/11 plot stupidity, its clear that even though a diploma from a good school is needed in today's workplace, it is no guarantee of core intelligence !!
Post a Comment