Unsure of what to do?

sparkysdad
Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:08:11 +0000

Sorry,I tend to be too cryptic. My point was that Carleton, as a Libral Arts College is not a vocational oriented institution – a vocation tends to naturally follow from a quality education. It does have a clear and specific mission, however. It is not suited for everyone. Students attending Carleton or any other quality Libral Arts College should understand what they are getting for their $50,000/year. The issues that concern Crixx make me question his fit with Carleton. How can someone whose greatest concern is grades be happy where there is a likely chance that he will not do as well as he is accustomed? I am sacrificing to send my S to one of the finest colleges in the country to get a first class education, both in and out of the classroom. He is excited to go, because he perceives that the students there will be as excited to learn and be engaged in the process as he is. There are significant trade offs when compared to a major university. For one thing, University course offerings and even the breath of research opportunities in the sciences are greater in number.

Unlike many European or Asian countries, the U.S. is a meritocracy. With few exceptions, no ones future is dependent on where they go to college. No one is going to get in or be denied admission to medical school simply because they went to Carleton. A premed going to State U main campus or even a lower tier branch campus can get into Medical school. He will probably need a higher GPA, but there is no doubt that that student will have a higher GPA than if he attended a very selective college. Neither does her “success” depend on what Medical school she attends. If she is motivated, driven, creative, etc., she will land great internship and residency opportunities. I suggest that the position you attain in life is primarily up to you. Check out the resumes of the Carleton faculty or the President of Dartmouth College a proud graduate of Wisconsin State University-Platteville.

Someone choosing a college hoping to get recognition or validation of their worth is going to end up both disappointed and unhappy.