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Maybe we shouldn't keep the college system around in its current form at all. In Iran, there's something called the Guardian Council. If you want to run for an

by 80386 9y ago

Maybe we shouldn't keep the college system around in its current form at all. In Iran, there's something called the Guardian Council. If you want to run for an election, the Guardian Council has to approve you first. If they don't approve you, you can't run. We don't have that in America, and that's generally considered a good thing. What we do have is an emphasis on credentials -- and the opportunity to get these credentials is gatekept by admissions officers. For example, look at the Supreme Court. Every current justice went to either Harvard or Yale -- mostly Harvard. The last one not to attend either was O'Connor. So, in practice, we have a guardian council here in America, which determines, among (many) other things, who can get on the Supreme Court. There's also the issue that not everyone understands the college game -- not just admissions, but the importance of going to a brand-name college in the first place. There are still a lot of parents and counselors and so on out there who think the only thing that matters is getting the degree, no matter where it's from. So if you don't come from a background where people know the game, you're screwed for life, unless you can become a successful entrepreneur.

logfromblammo 9y ago
To be more precise, the name of the institution on the degree matters for only a handful of universities. If you don't have one of those names, it doesn't matter which name you have. If the kid isn't getting in to one of the prestige-brand schools, the parents and counselors are correct--many of the public universities and lesser-known private colleges are essentially the same. But there is also a third tier, composed mostly of community colleges, correspondence schools, and for-profit "nationally accredited" colleges. That credential might not be enough to pass by all gatekeepers. Different universities occupy the top tier for different industries. For instance, in software, MIT counts, but in politics, it doesn't. It's not really the quality of the institution, but the strength of the brand, and the nepotism by alumni. And it's the people you met that can pry open an opportunity for you later. We don't live in a meritocracy. You still have to know someone who knows someone.

by 80386 9y ago

logfromblammo 9y ago

To be more precise, the name of the institution on the degree matters for only a handful of universities. If you don't have one of those names, it doesn't matter which name you have. If the kid isn't getting in to one of the prestige-brand schools, the parents and counselors are correct--many of the public universities and lesser-known private colleges are essentially the same. But there is also a third tier, composed mostly of community colleges, correspondence schools, and for-profit "nationally accredited" colleges. That credential might not be enough to pass by all gatekeepers. Different universities occupy the top tier for different industries. For instance, in software, MIT counts, but in politics, it doesn't. It's not really the quality of the institution, but the strength of the brand, and the nepotism by alumni. And it's the people you met that can pry open an opportunity for you later. We don't live in a meritocracy. You still have to know someone who knows someone.