College Picking

I thought this article was really great for those choosing colleges. It's a big decision, but for reasons not typically thought of:

1. Quality of life: Do you love the community vibe? Weather? Rural or city?
   
2. Quality of education: Are the professors great in your area of study? Does the school have a program that helps you with grad school?
3. Quality of Alumni help: Does the school help you get a job after graduation?

While the Ivies have name recognition, that might not mean much in some places. My brother is a Baylor MBA grad and I'd say that his chances for a career in Texas were enhanced by going to a Texas school. He told me of a friend who is also a Baylor grad and financial genius. The genius has three Ivy-leaguers reporting to him, much to their chagrin. But guess what? He's smarter and more creative. Ivy league schools don't suck up all the I.Q. in America. I know it's hard to imagine, but some students don't want to go to an Ivy league school. They prefer to stay near home or just like what another school offers.

And unless you're George Bush, no one cares about your grades in school besides your graduate school. Finish college. Preferably, finish in four years. And make sure that the undergrad degree helps you on your way to graduate school.

Otherwise, have fun! A person can only be 18, 19, or 20 once; unfortunately, the pressure kids labor under makes college seem like the most important phase of a person's life. It's not.

College is a means to the end, not the end.