I don't care where our clients get in

We're in the throes of arguably the bumpiest college decision season in history.   

Daily, I'm witnessing joy in Mudville, as well as reports of sobbing, bedridden kids crushed by rejections (sometimes the same person).

In the midst of this emotional, chaotic time -- especially today, a/k/a "Ivy Day" -- it's important to focus on an important, overlooked truth:

Where you go is not who you are

I know, your kid may not want to hear it seconds after a rejection.  But that doesn't mean it's untrue.

I won't bore you with one of those long lists of famous successful people who didn't go to an Ivy, or who were rejected by their top choice college, but it's far from the end of the world if you don't get into your top choice college...

...but I can't help myself, so here's a short list of some really successful, non-Ivy leaguers.

Howard Schultz, the Starbucks guy - Northern Michigan University

Marc Cuban -- Indiana University

Steve Jobs -- Reed College (dropout)

Michael Dell - UT Austin

 - - -

Back to the email.  This isn't an anti-Ivy message.  One of my own kids attends an Ivy, another one got in but chose a different school.  Pearl (wife) is a Cornell grad. We know tons of people who graduated elite colleges and are kicking butt and taking names.

What I AM against is kids giving away all of their personal power to a star chamber of nameless, faceless admissions officers to decide whether or not to admit them.

Here's the thing...

A college rejection is not a judgment about whether the applicant is "good" enough to succeed academically at that college.  If you don't get in, that doesn't mean you suck or failed.

Colleges have their own, institutional agendas about whom to admit. One-half to two-thirds of an incoming class is allocated to special categories, which have nothing to do with academic considerations.  

You probably know which "selects" or "tags" get the thumb on the scale:  recruited athletes, legacies, underrepresented minorities, international students, etc.    These special categories tend to have lower GPAs and test scores (I know that's not politically correct.)

So if they got in, but you didn't, the reason may not be because you didn't do something right, or could have done something more, or somehow differently.  It's probably based on factors out of your control.

- - -

Next point:  graduating from an Ivy or other highly selective college does not guarantee a life of wine and roses. 

First, rank is a bit of a scam.  Columbia's plummeted two years ago when a professor called them out for falsifying statistics (that seems like a quaint scandal, given their current issues).  Numerous other colleges have done the same thing in the past. 

That's one reason not to use rank as a proxy for "good education."  Here's one more.

US News came out with its rankings. Other publications have their own rankings.

But there's an inherent, design flaw at work.  Rank can't measure student effort.

I've known and will continue to know scores of graduates of elite colleges who think that, because they attended a college with a low acceptance percentage, they can basically sit back with a catcher's mitt and field job offers and other opportunities.  I bet this sounds familiar.

Or they think it's acceptable to show up at a job interview with mommy.  (God, I wish I was kidding.)

They're in for a rude awakening.   We're exiting the Entitlement Economy.  If I were hiring, chances are pretty high that I'd take the kid from Baruch over Columbia every day of the week, twice on Sunday.

I'll wrap things up here.  Good luck to client and non-client alike the rest of this admissions cycle.  But try to remember the long game.  

It may not be the worst thing to "settle", and attend a Plan B college with a chip on your shoulder, perhaps pushing you to greater heights.

it could be a blessing in disguise.

-Andy "Unranked" Lockwood

P.S.  Five reasons why it doesn't really matter where you go:

1. Nobody Cares After You Graduate:  Some college sheepskins will still help you get your foot in the door. Spoiler alert: Your boss in 5 years (or 5 months) won’t ask what dorm you lived in. They’ll care if you can produce:  if you can "do your job" to quote Belichick (Wesleyan '75, non-Ivy). They’re really going to care and talk about you behind your back if you insert how you attended “a little school in Cambridge” into every conversation.
2. “Prestige” Doesn’t Pay Your Bills. You can’t Venmo your rent with a rear window sticker. Name-brand degrees don’t guarantee a paycheck.
3. You’re the Product, Not the School. College doesn’t make you successful. You make you successful. Stop giving them all the credit (or the power).
4. Debt Is a Dream Crusher. That $80K/year “top 10” school could cost you or your parents' financial future. Meanwhile, other “lesser” but still prestigious schools might bribe you to  attend.  And if you’re headed to law or medical school, it doesn’t matter where you went undergrad.  (It matters where you finish, not where you start
5. The Network Myth Is... a Myth (partial) "You’re paying for the network." Do you really want to rely on Chad from the frat to launch and sponsor your career? The alumni, career center, etc. are important resources, but you can get them at non-Ivies (Penn State, Syracuse, Miami and many more). And, you must AVAIL yourself of those resources (that means applying to 200 internships, showing up at job fairs, and hustling your tush off)  Not just sponging off Chad.