Cornell University President on Finding the Best Value College
Posted on Tue, 04/02/2013 - 10:40
In a recent piece on CNN, Cornell University President David Skorton offered some excellent and easy to follow advice for students about evaluating colleges -- advice that applies to both juniors who are starting their college search and seniors who are trying to decide where to attend. "A substantial part of college choice must belong to the student, " says Skorton in the article. "It must encompass facts, but also the 'feel' of the college and the fit with the student’s background, personality and interests." Read on here for more about the specifics to consider when deciding which colleges are the right ones for you. Special thanks to reader Carol MacCorkle for sending this to us.
Comments
Finding the perfect fit for the perfect four years -- not to mention the perfect future -- should be the goal of every college-bound student. The "best" college is not necessarily the one ranked highest by U.S. News & World report, or, for that matter, an Ivy. It is what is best for each individual student, academically, socially, spiritually, and let's not forget, or downplay, the "happiness" factor. (or, for that matter, the quality of the food in the dining halls :-).
Dr. Skorton is absolutely correct: "... the value of a college degree should not be judged solely on the first job acquired, but it should be 'a passport to a lifetime of citizenship, opportunity, growth and change.'”
Whether you find your passport at Cornell or elsewhere (I often tell my students, only half in jest, "Smart kids go to Cornell. Smart kids with smart parents go to Binghamton." :-), the college experience should be academically challenging and, more than that, personally fulfilling.
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