My family always told me that college is the way to go to be successful in life, and that it will provide myself with skills that will be implemented in my future career and life in general. I was taught this way throughout my life and it soon became my mindset. The mindset in which college was the only way to be successful in life. On the other hand, my cousin Alyza who aspired to be a dental assistant, did not go to college but instead went to a vocational school and finished within two years. Not only did she successfully finish, but she also just purchased a house in December of last year. This got me thinking about whether my decision of going to a 4 year college or going to a vocational school was the best option. With that being said, should everyone go to college?
One point of view I explored on this question is discussed in Oren Cass 2018 Wall Street Journal article “Not Everyone Should Go To College”, Cass a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of the forthcoming book “The Once and Future Worker ” suggests that if we were to elevate vocational education and prioritizing the students, it will have to start with the basis and foreground of education which is highschool. This is where the problem lies.
Highschools refuse to re-track from the traditional ways instead of reshaping the system where the students have more than one destination besides college. Cass then introduces the benefits students will obtain with this solution. Benefits such as having significant work experience, certified skills, a good amount of money at a young age, cultural acceptance and being debt-free. Cass ends the article by acknowledging that the current education system isn’t necessarily trackless, but provides a single track for a variety of students who are and aren’t college bound, which in result needs to change (Cass).
In response to Cass’s article, Jeanne Allen, the founder of the Center for Education Reform which is the nation’s leading authority on advancing education opportunity and innovation, argues that those who say that not everyone should go to college is wrong. First, she questions why create different pathways that require someone to help direct students to the so-called, ‘most promising pathway ’ if two thirds of the students are already failing in the education system. Next, she explains how opportunities aren’t only found in colleges but can be found in other educational venues such as on-ground, online, accelerated etc. Lastly, she states that there are subjects that are a necessity for life such as civics, literacy, geography and many more, that career technical schools minimize. She then acknowledges the fact that there are shortcomings in the higher educational systems but explains that students aren’t being prepared well due to the unpreparedness that high school is providing students with. Allen ends the article by stating that even though different kinds of college isn’t meant for everyone, higher education is a necessity that can be implemented in everyone’s lives (Allen).
Nevertheless, both articles helped me understand the advantages and disadvantages of college. With Cass’s article focusing on the disadvantages of going to college, and Allen’s focusing on the advantages of receiving a higher education, I strongly believe that not everyone should go to college.
Both Cass and Allen acknowledged that there are positives for going and pursuing a higher education. For instance, Allen states that those who are pursuing a non-college track will not fully utilize their academic capabilities (Allen). She also adds how there are many new opportunities far beyond two or four year colleges, such as online, accelerated, on-ground and many more varieties of ways to get a higher education. Alike from Allen, Oren Cass states that no matter where an individual chooses to go, students must acquire the necessary subjects like literacy, numeracy, geography etc. that are essential for living (Cass). Despite the fact that both Cass and Allen acknowledged that college has its own positives, they do have their differences in opinion. In Cass’s article, she explains how vocational education will fail as long as there aren’t any changes made in American high schools (Cass). In contrast to Cass’s take, Allen elaborates on seeing no point in changing the educational system if the system is already in a steady decline (Allen). Allen also adds that if different pathways were made it would still have to require someone with qualifications to guide students on the right path (Allen).
I believe that not everyone should go to college due to various reasons. For instance, Oren Cass states that high school students have realized that if they were to utilize the vocational opportunity at the last year of their highschool career, they can earn up to $40,000 while also getting work experience and certified skills (Cass). This shows that if students were to start early on career selection and readiness that they can not only be debt-free, but make the last year of high school a productive and meaningful one. In addition to that, Jeanne Allen states that only 60% of students at four year colleges graduate within six years of starting, and among those who make it say that graduating was not worth it (Allen). This is significant due to the fact that data shows that only a little over half of students that enter college actually finish within the six years of entering college, and among those that finished state that it was not worth it.
Another claim that is provided by Cass is how also only 46% of Americans have attained even an associates degree. This shows that less than half of Americans have at least an associates degree, so why push college if less than half of the American population doesn’t even have a degree? Lastly, Cass explains how a strong non college track would assure the students with financial viability and cultural acceptance (Cass). This is significant because it adds on to the benefits of not pursuing higher education. College isn’t always the answer for a better future, there are alternative ways to obtain that.
All in all, Cass and Allen’s article gave me new insights and perspectives as to why having a higher education is important but how there are also alternatives that are available and as significant as to the opportunities given in college if that isn’t a student’s interest. I believe that all students shouldn’t go to college because it might not be the best possible option to those who aren’t financially stable enough for college, not an individual’s personal priority, etc. With that being said, I acknowledge those who are debating whether or not they should go to college, to think about what is the most practical for them.
Works Cited
- Allen, Jeanne. “College Isn’t For Whom?” Forbes, 28 Mar. 2019, www.forbes.com
- Cass, Oren. “Not Everyone Should Go to College” The Wall Street Journal, 17 May 2018, www.wsj.com
- http://www.forbes.com/
- http://www.wsj.com/
