Living in a highly competitive world, having a college degree is essential for many to gain more knowledge about what they are interested in and for others to get good jobs. Indeed, the US labor market has changed significantly in the last 40 years to be based on high-skill jobs, which mostly require a college degree. As a result, the percentage of Americans who go to college has grown constantly in recent years . However, getting into college isn’t as easy as it used to be. Now, it is so competitive, highly selective and very expensive, which affects many students and their families in different ways. Getting into college has become so competitive since the percentage of students applying for college has rapidly jumped, especially of international …show more content…
Now, colleges put more emphasis on personalities and out-of-curricular activities, beside the scores of standardized test and high school grades (Cook,2014, p.8). However, the amount and quality of emphasis varies among university, which puts more pressure on students and affect their lives (The Economist, 2015, p.3) . One of the impacts is that the illusion of the right courses and the right activities that boosts their applications and make them unique . Many students feel confused about what courses they should take and in what activities they should participate to make their application fantastic. Such a confusion leads many of them to feel stressed. According to Cook (2014), a high school counselor says that confusion increases stress among students and their families (p.8). Moreover, many students start considering their college choices and preparing their application at an early age. According to Cook (2014), some students start thinking about college in ninth grade by engaging in out-of-curricular activites (8). Another impact of college high selectivity is the significant decline in acceptance rates in recent years. Perez-Pena (2014) points out that college acceptance rates have constantly dropped including public and privates colleges
College is one of the biggest financial burdens in today’s society for many. Since the recession, people often ponder what the best financial options for students looking to go to college are and what path they should take to get them there. Mike Rose, faculty member at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Karen Lawrence, the president of Sarah Lawrence College, have both written articles about this epidemic stating the advantages and some possible downsides to pursuing a higher education. During these articles, the two writers are trying to persuade their intended audience that college is an option that could be beneficial for them to take advantage of. They both have different
The towering prices of college tuition is an avid cause for the overwhelming ignorance in America. U.S. leaders once hoped that 60 percent of the U.S. population would have college degrees by 2025. Today in 2017, it is closer to 30 percent. Not only do tuition costs dig deep financial holes in a student’s life, the pressure of making the investment causes unnecessary, avoidable stress. Students around the world flourish without the financial commitment. Students in America- the land of the “free”- need the same financial freedoms and opportunities to thrive and contribute to mankind in the changing world of today.
Ever since you were little, your parents have been talking about this wonderful thing called college. They told you that you have to go there to get an education before you can get a good job. Many kids have dreamed of going to college, and being able to get the job of their dreams. By putting in hard work and dedication to good grades in high school, you had high hopes that you would be able to get into an Ivy League school. The American dream of being able to go to college to get a degree is sliding away from many people due to rising costs. With increasing tuition prices and job loss, the college dream is slowly and surely slipping away from many students and their families.
With tuition costs skyrocketing and job opportunities declining for many graduates around the nation, it leaves many to question the supposed benefits of earning a college degree. In high school, students are geared towards the idea a college education will unlock various opportunities for those with a degree compared to those individuals without one. Although receiving a higher education may be extremely costly, it remains important to not underestimate its true value. There are a number of factors that make earning a college education crucial in today’s society. These include the knowledge you gain by earning a degree, and extensive opportunities made available after graduation. These two factors, along with the financial security and
Attending college has become the societal and educational norm in this day and age. We high school students feel a tremendous pressure to work for a college degree in order to be successful. College is a very important stepping stone between childhood and an entrance into the workforce. While many studies indicate that obtaining a college degree leads to higher wage jobs, more recent studies disagree. This is extremely concerning as a prospective college student in the dawn of my application process. Not only is it terrifying to think that a well-earned college degree is unnecessary for a future job, but it is incredibly frustrating. After years of hard work just to simply get into college, it might lead
The U.S. is home to some of the greatest colleges and universities in the world. But with an overwhelming 1.3 million students graduating with an average student loan debt of $29,000 each and with youth unemployment elevated, the question of whether or not college tuition is worth the money arises (The Institute for College Access & Success, 2013). Higher education faces intimidating challenges: continually rising costs, access and completion problems, constant changing of technology, and responsibility pressures from state and federal officials. But no challenge is more intimidating than the fundamental question that many Americans face to ask themselves, "Is college worth the cost?" As a result of the economic turn down, many students who graduate are not finding well-paying jobs, either within their field of study or not.
Over the past decade, it has become evident to the students of the United States that in order to attain a well paying job they must seek a higher education. The higher education, usually a college or university, is practically required in order to succeed. To be able to attend these schools and receive a degree in a specific field it means money, and often a lot of it. For students, the need for a degree is strong, but the cost of going to college may stand in the way of a successful future. Each year the expense of college rises, resulting in the need for students to take out loans. Many students expect to immediately get a job after graduation, however, in more recent years the chances for college graduates to get a well paying job
Obtaining a degree remains one of the most important pathways to economic and social class in the United States (U.S.), regardless of rising tuition costs and the value of having a higher education coming in to question. Of the 20.6 million students enrolled in a college or university, first-generation college students represents about one-third (The Institute for Higher Education Policy, 2012). These group of individuals are more likely to encounter academic, financial, professional, cultural, and emotional difficulties (Sanez, Hurtado, Barrera, Wolf, and Yeung, 2007).
Today's American workforce is made up of a clear cut thirty six-percent of people with a Bachelor's Degree, thirty-four percent of people with a High School Diploma and thirty percent of people with at least some exposure to college courses (Douglas-Gabriel 1). The desire for qualified job applicants goes unnoticed these days. Today's workforce lacks driven applicants with a college education. As students and families struggle to make ends meet in the midst of the transition from high school to college, one might question, is college worth it? A wide variety of statistics about where students most commonly succeed shows both positives and negatives about attending college.
The drastic and exponential rise in college tuition and fees has thousands of Americans questioning if the education is worth the high costs. Knowing that a college education may open doors and allow for career opportunities that would not be there without a college degree, many feel pressured to attend. High school seniors specifically feel this pressure as the topic of whether or not they want to attend college and where comes into question. Not only do students have to be concerned about if the college they wish to attend has particular degrees, but also the cost of the secondary education. As a senior in high school I personally understand the frustration in considering the cost of college when choosing the right college to attend. Student
The results from this study show that students from low income households have a significantly lower chance of receiving a bachelor degree than those coming from higher income households, which one could probably assume. Even the students that preformed at the top of their class in eighth grade, but lived in low income households had less than thirty-three percent chance of completing college (Roy). This astonishing fact proves that even the highest achieving students still do not have a guarantee of receiving a college education, if their parents have no way to afford it. Another study, conducted by the National Student Clearninghouse Research Center, tracked two million, three hundred thousand people from high school into college to track their performance while in college based on where they attended college. They found that low income students from lower income high schools tended to wait a couple years before enrolling in college while high income students attending higher income high schools enrolled in college the fall semester after graduating high school. Out of these participants, twenty-two thousand, one hundred eight students continued their education into college, and eighty-one percent of these college students successfully completed at least their second year of schooling (Sparks ).
In today’s economy, it’s nearly impossible to earn a decent living without a college degree. However, even when students strive for a degree, they are financially burdened with debt. Regardless of which decision you choose, you are chastened. Even though you will not receive the traditional college experience, you be relieved of financial burdens and still acquire the
Many students have aspirations about attending the college of their dreams, but many people lack financial support and are not able to go because of high tuition payments, such as housing, and other college expenses. U.S. Student Loans Debt Statistics for 2017 indicate that “the cost of attending college is becoming a growing burden for a huge portion of Americans.” (Student Loan Hero). Students are left with the option of dropping and leaving school. Even after receiving some financial support, such as scholarships and grants, students have limited amount of money to pay off their expenses. At the start of their college career, students apply for the colleges they would like to go to, and many forget about the financial decision that is required to pay for college. “A 2010 study on more than 200,000 freshmen at four-year colleges, more students rated themselves as below average in emotional health than ever before. The financial stress of worrying about their college loans and whether they’ll find a job after college and the day to day stress of making decisions for themselves in all aspects of their lives.” (Allianz). Unfortunately, freshman students are the main group of college students that go through financial conflicts, leading to stress about how to pay for college. Some students choose to work their way through college. “Others decide they’d rather be making money working full time than pursuing a costly degree. Still others become discouraged at the prospect of incurring loan debt” (College View). According to Public Agenda, “Work is the top reason young adults give for not returning to college once they leave. More than a third (36 percent) of those who left school say that even if they had a grant that fully paid for tuition
From kindergarten to high school, students are told over and over again that attending college should be their main priority. “College is the way to success,” or “College is essential in order to find a job” is what teachers and adults implant into students’ heads. The education system is built around preparing students for college. Higher education over the years however, has been increasing. College Board, an organization that prepares students for college and administers standardized tests, showed in a study that college tuition has been on a rise since 1973.
Each year, millions of students face the hardest question of their lives, college or not. Unfortunately, due to the cost of overall cost, many students and their families struggle with this decision. In the United States, college tuition and fees have raised considerable over the last decade and show no sign of stopping. Taking out loans larger than most will every pay for a car, students are accumulating sizeable amounts of debt. Predicated that in coming years companies will demand higher qualified workers is placing a lot of pressure on students; leaving them without many options. With limited aid available, countless are wondering if it is enough to make college worth the debt. Finding a way to insure