Washington Post THe Education Review: Is it Worth it?

glkecon2 · 03-31-2006, 09:28 AM

This Sunday (April 2) the Washington Post will contain an "Education Review" insert that address whether the cost of an elite education is worth it. [I am lucky enough to get my Sunday Inserts on Fridays] Article cited a few studies addressing the issue but also had a number of good quotes from Ivy Admissions Officers. Its worth the Read

Mizo · 03-31-2006, 10:27 AM

glkecon2,

Cool, I look forward to reading it. Thanks for the heads up. That is my husbands question, is it worth it. My daughter is a junior and I have just decided that she add our local public university to her list of schools for a financial and academic safety.

dadx3 · 03-31-2006, 02:34 PM

Haven't (yet) read the article, but there are at least 2 ways to look at the question of "is it worth it?" 1) Does it pay off in terms of higher income and 2) Does the student get a "better" education in ways that do not show up in higher income. If the answer is at least in part 2), then we have to decide how much those less measurable characteristics are worth.

For those who think that 1) is the only question, I ask this: If we thought that becoming a truck driver would provide a better income for our kids than going to college, would we send them to truck driving school instead of college? If the answer is yes, then income after graduation is the only measure we should look at. But I want more for my kids than a good salary.

Mizo · 03-31-2006, 06:49 PM

dadx3,

I agree with you.

NJres · 03-31-2006, 07:32 PM

I thought you were asking if it was worth spending $1.00 (or whatever) on the Washington Post. Even cynical me thinks it is foolish to measure the dollar value of an elite education. Who can put a dollar value on the ability to look down your nose at the rest of the world?

xiggi · 03-31-2006, 08:03 PM

Is the typical education coverage by the Washington Post worth ONE dollar per issue? That depends who the writer is! For at least one of them, that figure is inflated by close to one hundred cents. As such, skipping or reading the article on page W20 this Review won't make much difference.

Oh well, the issue is available online. Here's a taste:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...032801333.html

Quote:

Heaven's Gate
Will gaining admission to one of the nation's elite colleges guarantee a prosperous future -- or just a mountain of debt?

By Dante Chinni
Sunday, April 2, 2006; Page W10

Every striver mother and father knows the rules when it comes time to shop for a college. These are so deeply embedded in the subconscious of affluent, highly educated parents that their wisdom is rarely questioned.

If your kid is bright enough, you shoot for the Ivies, Stanford or MIT. If those are out of reach, you aim your child at other prestigious private institutions -- Duke, the University of Chicago, Georgetown or some other brand-name, liberal arts college that doesn't let just anybody in the door. If all else fails, you might consider a top-ranked state university, but only as a last resort.

../...

"What does it really take to get into Harvard?" Sklarow asks. "Who knows?" People need to stop worrying about finding the magic formula to get into Harvard or Yale, he says. "There is enough research to show how you do in life has nothing to do with where you went to college, but it is just very hard to convince the parents."

randomdad · 04-02-2006, 11:09 PM

For what it's worth, the Washington Post Company 'has a dog in this fight'. The Post Company owns Kaplan. Kaplan has classroom-based and online programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels and even an online Law School.

glkecon2 · 04-03-2006, 08:47 AM

UPDATE: My son got his large package from Cornell on Saturday. THe Cover read "A Case for Cornell" and I must say their case was rather convincing.

glkecon2 · 04-04-2006, 04:13 PM

I am glad the Saturday packet was impressive ...caz their NON-OFFER of financail aid wasnt.