Frank Bruni writes an outstanding article in the Sunday New York Times Sunday Review titled, “Accepted? Rejected? Relax!”

This article confirms what my own research has shown over the years. It’s not so much a ticket to success to be accepted to a top rated college as it is what you do with what you get out of the college experience.

Bruni points out that “The obsession with elite colleges distorts reality, hurts kids, and perverts education.”

He is correct.

The criteria for choosing a college should be to choose the college which makes you feel comfortable and happy. This enables you to actually do better in your academic studies as well as helping you to learn the “critical skills” that are not necessarily taught in the classroom.

The physical laws of science, the process of learning to communicate (write and speak), the mathematical principles, and the access to great literature is virtually the same in any college. Granted, an elite college might enable you to make a lot of connections and develop friendships with individuals who might be helpful to you during the course of your career, but it is no guarantee that you will actually wind up with a “better career.” In fact, the opposite might be true.

Going to a college that you love and majoring in the subject matter that you love is the key to learning at the college level – AND to best prepare you for the future.

Read Bruni’s article and share his thoughts with your kids. They will benefit from it.

~ CCJ