Left in the Cold by Kelly

Left in the Cold by Kelly - April 2020 Scholarship Essay

It is important to recognize that attending college is still necessary for many professions, especially the ones that require a degree and a license—CPAs, lawyers, and doctors. Additionally, I firmly believe that attending college can be a great way to gain personal and professional development. However, college isn’t the end all be all. There is increasing evidence that a college degree isn’t as valued by employers as it used to be, and with rapidly increasing costs of obtaining a tertiary education, I believe that attending college is no longer important.

Firstly, there is absolutely no guarantee of success in any vocation. No one can tell you that going to college will secure you a giant pot of gold in a career you’re passionate about. This is supported by Forbes, who says that recent college graduates are facing 6% or more unemployment rates depending on their major. Attending college simply does not secure material wealth like it used to. In a ruthless job market during an unstable economy, employers have set the bar so high that almost nobody is getting hired without a graduate certificate and extensive experience (even for entry level jobs). Some cling to the fact that statistically, people with college degrees make more money on average over their lifetime. This piece of information may be overlooking the fact that college is hopelessly unaffordable for most students who are spending up to $250,000 on a bachelor’s degree to get a $40,000/ year job on track for a dead-end middle management career. And if this isn’t the case, the large majority will be capped out in a salary purgatory, stuck at earning $70-90K/ year. You’ve probably heard the story that the tradeschool route will allow you to make that amount of money without debt and in a quicker amount of time. Yes, trade schools aren't the cure-all people make them out to be, but knowing that this favorable outcome is possible throws a wrench in the common belief that a 4-year degree is the only way to go.
Another argument against attending college can be found by examining why employers have historically favored college graduates. Besides a professional certification, college essentially proves that you can do as you're told and do so for years. Alone this is not much. Employers also want to see that you are capable of independent thought, critical understanding, and setting your own goals and meeting them. They want to see that you can work well with others, and that you have necessary soft skills (being personable, adaptable, and adept at time management) to thrive in the workplace. College isn’t the only way to prove these skills, which is why large and known employers such as international publishing firm Penguin Random House, major consulting firms Ernst and Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers have decided to drop degrees as a requirement for job applicants. In the coming decade, it is expected that more and more companies will follow this precedent.
While getting a degree is a tangible way of showing hard work, it does not inherently mean you are more capable or successful as someone without a degree. With politicians and educational experts advocating for closing the achievement gap, college’s diminishing importance may not be as devastating as many consider it to be. In this new era, a committed person with a driven mindset and hard-working attitude can make it. One should do whatever they believe is right for them even if it's unconventional. That is why if you think you can succeed without a degree, I say go for it.