Wow- the comment about not being college material because of one C is just flat wrong. I was a lazy MG kid.
But my point was that this girl is a long way from lazy. As I mentioned, she worked very hard on math, yet still ended up with a C because (by her own admission) she just didn't get it. This is very different from being lazy and getting a C.
This girl obviously works very hard and has the potential to do well in life. I fear that may be squandered by sending her off to do a BA when she might do better in other areas like nursing, allied health, and any of dozens of other career options that don't require a BA. If this statement isn't true of her, it certainly is of thousands of other kids who end up in debt with BAs they don't use.
I do think education is always a good thing- HOWEVER- Only an individual can assess how much debt they are willing to take on and is the cost benefit analysis is worth it. A C is not a college deal breaker- trust me I had plenty and have done just fine
Brandy
I agree about education being a good thing, but only if it's appropriate for the individual. For example, an education at the Art Institute of Philadelphia would be wasted on me because I have no talent for art. If spots are limited (and they are at the elite colleges this girl wants to attend), the spots should go to the students with the most aptitude.
Well, I agree with points made by both of you, Val and Giftodd, although I do feel that words were being put in my mouth. I NEVER said everyone should go to college, I simply said that this girl who was primarily on the honor roll in college track courses throughout high school but earned a C in ONE class should not automatically be told she is "not college material". As you rightly point out, Val, we have no idea whether she is or not. I do think, however, that if she came from one of the white, upper middle class families that make up the majority of that school, getting one C would not elicit the same response.
Sorry; I wasn't trying to say that you meant that everyone should go to college. I also agree that we shouldn't devalue the liberal arts (I went to a liberal arts college). But at the same time, this girl isn't from a wealthy background, and there was no mention of what she wants to study or what she wants to do later. I'm going to stand by my assertion that the article didn't give me confidence in her mathematical aptitude, which means that her BA-type options are limited. It really bothered me that no one (including the girl) was talking about her goals beyond getting into an elite college. What's she going to study? What are her ideas for what she wants to do after graduation?
At the same time, you saying that we wouldn't be questioning things because she's not white really bothers me. Sorry, but this is such a typical and frustrating response in higher education discussions. I question the wisdom of sending
any student off to get a BA without providing a lot of information about other options, and have made that position clear on other threads. Wren and Kathleensmum made great suggestions: allied health and nursing. Nurses can get a job anywhere in the world and can go on to do about a zillion other cool things. This is great!
If she had been a white kid, I would have written the same thing, and this is what drives me nuts about the education debate in this country. Questioning whether or not someone who isn't white should go to college always (
always) results in references to racism or classism. My questions aren't about where her parents came from. They're about the fact that in spite of a lot of studying, she can't understand "fractions and the pi thing, oh my god" and that her SAT scores were so low. To repeat: she's obviously hard-working and capable and it just bothers me that everyone around her just seems to be focused on getting into an ELITE COLLEGE over any other option.
I'm frustrated because our country is pushing thousands upon thousands of students into BAs without providing other options or having a set of serious talks about paying off student loans. I've already started this conversation with my eleven-year-old.
If you question the conventional wisdom, you're accused of being classist, racist, or whatever. This tactic obscures the real issues in the debate.
