Well, I've looked at the links and the studies provided earlier in this thread, and I'm not finding a bunch of solid information on the negative effects of encouraging people to go to college. Of course, the articles I've read--if they are the ones you are talking about--have been heavily interpreted, watered-down, and filtered for a mass audience.
I don't think that article in American Educator was watered down --- but I read it all instead of skimming it. I found it to be rich in data that was well-supported with 60 references. I actually think that article should be required reading in high schools and middle schools.
I also didn't think that the information about student loan debt was watered down. If anything, it carried a big punch: people in this country carry one trillion dollars of non-escapable student loan debt (more required reading for MS and HS students). This statistic scares me.
Honestly, and this is just my opinion, my impression from your posts is that you're coming at this issue from an ideological standpoint and have no interest in even considering the other side of the college-for-everyone story. By your own admission, you only skimmed a well-researched article. You were dismissive about "anecdotal evidence" of people on this board, but your posts in defense of college-for-all center heavily around your own experiences, which have been generalized twice to apply to others.
I'll close with a quote from the paper in
American Educator:
We are mystified by what we are increasingly seeing as idealism that prevents optimal outcomes across youth-related fields. We think our society's tendency to advocate BAs for all is a good example of this problem. Somehow, across fields, we must find a way of being honest with out youth without crushing their dreams. Short term, the truth about college must be disheartening. Long term, knowing the truth is the only way to accomplish one's goals.
