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FRANKBRUNI

OurCrazyCollegeCrossroads

ByFRANKBRUNI Published:January5,2013

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MYnieceLeslieisstillmorethanninemonthsawayfromsendingin acollegeapplicationandmorethan18fromsteppingintoherfirst collegeclass,butalreadyshesswimminginnumbers:theaverage SATscoresforoneuniversitysstudentbody;thepercentageof applicantsanotherschooladmits;howmuchmoney,onaverage,the graduatesofyetanotherschooltendtomakeoncetheyvebeeninthe workforceawhile.Thisisthekindofinformationspotlightedinthe articlesandbooksthataresupposedtoguideherandherpeers. Thesearethetypesoffactoidsthattheadultsaroundthemoften focuson.

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Whichschoolwillbequeaththebest network?Whichdiplomahasthemost cachet?VariousrelativespitchLeslie onthevirtuesoftheiralmamaters, andassurelyasmynieceswimsinnumbers,shedrownsin advice.Butmuchofitstrikesmeasshortsightedand incomplete,andIworrythatshellbecoaxedtomakeher choiceinawaythatdisregardstheinimitableopportunity thatcollegepresents,thefullbountyandsplendorofthose potentiallytransformativeyears.Ihavethesameworry aboutothersecondaryschoolstudentswho,likeher,

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possesstheeconomicandintellectualgoodfortuneand thehardwontranscriptstoentertainawealthof alternatives,becauseIthinkweletthemgettoodistracted byrankings,ratings,brands.Wedontpointthemtoward assessmentsanddynamicsthatarearguablymore meaningful. Lastweekwasthedeadlinetoapplytomanycollegesand universities,thoughtheadmissionsdancethedreaming, scheming,waitingandworryinghasreallybecomea yearround,nonstopphenomenon,startingwellbeforethe finalstretchofhighschool.Lesliesajuniorandhas alreadyvisitedhalfadozencampuses,toseehowtheyfeel.
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AndifsheslikemostofmypeerswhenIwasherage,shell winduppickingonethatgivesherasenseofcomfort,of safety.Thatswhattoomanykidsdo.Theyperpetuatewhat theyrefamiliarwith,gravitatingtothesameschoolsthat theirfriendsareorduplicatingtheirparentspaths.And theressomuchlostinthatreflex,somuchsurrenderedby thattimidity.

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Ifyoureamongtheluckywhocanfactormorethancost andproximityintowhereyoudecidetogo,collegeisatickettoanadventurebeyondthe parametersofwhatyouveexperiencedsofar.Itsapassporttothefarsideofwhatyou alreadyknow.Itsachancetobechallenged,notcoddled.Tobeprovoked,notpacified. Doesbrandmatter?Toapoint.Thereareindeedfutureemployerswhoseecertain diplomasassealsofapproval,asprescreeningofasort,andtherearemanysuccessful peoplewhogotthatwaybymilkingcontactsmadeatstorieduniversities.Butthereare justasmanywhoprosperedwithouttheimprimaturofoneofthehyperexclusiveschools nearthetopoftheannualU.S.News&WorldReportlist.Andevenifyoureconfining yourselftothoseschools,youcanandshouldaskquestionsaboutthemthatprospective freshmenfrequentlydont. Howmanyofacollegesoruniversitysstudentsarecomingfromothercountries?Favor schoolswithhigherpercentagesofforeigners,becauseasmuchofyoureducationwill happenoutsideasinsideanylecturehall,andglobalismishereandreal.Thedexterity withwhichyoucannavigateotherculturesyourawarenessof,andopennessto,them couldbemorevaluableandhappymakingthananyknowledgegleanedfromabook. Whenitcomestotheinternationalismofaschool,dontassumetheloftiestoneswinthe race.Inonemeasureofthis,CarnegieMellon,BostonUniversityandBrandeiscameout aheadofHarvard,Stanford,WilliamsorDuke. Youmightalsotakeintoaccountwhatpercentageofaschoolsstudentstravelinthe oppositedirectionanddosomestudyabroad.Thatcouldbeanindicationofyourfuture classmatesdaringorcuriosity,andthoseclassmateswillpresumablybringthefruitsof theirexperiencesbacktocampus.AccordingtoU.S.News&WorldReport,ofthe41 schoolsthatclaimtohavesentmorethan50percentoftheirstudentstoastudyabroad program,onlyone,Dartmouth,isintheIvyLeague. Iusethewordclaimdeliberatelyandurgeskepticismwithrankings.Theydependon honestreportingfromschools,andinrecentyearsbothClaremontMcKennaCollegeand EmoryUniversitywereforcedtoadmitinflationinwhattheydtrumpetedaboutthetest scoresorotherachievementsoftheirstudents.Also,whatdoesstudyabroadmean?A semesteroraweek,andinMumbaiorjustMontreal?Asithappens,morethanhalfofthe AmericancollegestudentswhotakeanacademicdetourfromtheUnitedStatesstillhead toEurope,andthemostpopulardestinationisBritain,accordingtotheInstituteof InternationalEducation.Theyrenotexactlyhoningnewlanguageskillsthere.

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SOdigasdeeplyasyoucanintowhatthestatisticsthatcollegesshowcasedoanddont assure.Andtreatyourundergraduateeducationasararelicense,beforeyoureconfined bytheburdensoffullfledgedadulthoodandbeforethecostsofexperimentationrise,to betuggedoutsideyourcomfortzone.Tobeyanked,preferably.Ifyouvespentlittletime inthethickofabusycity,contemplateaschoolinpreciselysuchaplace.Ifyouknowonly theNorth,thinkabouttheSouth.Seekdiversity,notjustintermsofnationality,ethnicity andrace,butalsointermsoffinancialbackground,especiallyifyourbearingshavebeen resolutelyandnarrowlyuppermiddleclass.Youllmostlikelyencounteradifferent economiccrosssectionofclassmatesatoneofthetopstateuniversitiesthanyouwillata smallprivatecollege.Doesntthathavemerit,andshouldntthatbeweighed? Andifyourinterestsandcircumstancesdontdemandanimmediateconcentrationonone fieldofstudy,gosomewherethatllforceyoutostretchinmultipledirections.(Acore curriculumisntabadthingatall.)Theworldisinconstantflux,lifeisasequenceof surprises,andIcanthinkofnobettertalentstopickupincollegethanfearlessness, nimblenessandtheabilitytorollwithchange,adapttonewnessandimprovise. Ihave11niecesandnephewsinall.Thereare10youngerthanLeslie.Ihopeallofthem havetheoptionsthatsheseemsto,andIhopetheyaskthemselvesnotwhichschoolisthe surestroutetorichesbutwhichwillgivethemtherichestexperiencestodrawfrom,which willbroadentheirframesofreference.Collegecanshrinkyouruniverse,orcollegecan expandit.Ivoteforthelatter. Iinviteyoutovisitmyblog,followmeonTwitterattwitter.com/frankbruniandjoinme onFacebook.
AversionofthisopedappearedinprintonJanuary6,2013,onpageSR3oftheNewYorkeditionwiththeheadline:Howto ChooseaCollege.
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