What if getting a college education did not matter anymore?

What if getting a college education did not matter anymore?

After reading a recent WSJ article , where 56% of Americans think that college may not be worth it, I had a thought…

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What if???....

  • …I had been taught that the value of an ivy league education was not paramount to my success?
  • ...I was not taught to be a rule follower and to always do as told as a sign of respect for elders and people in positions of power?
  • ...I was not told that coloring inside the lines of a paint by numbers picture is the only way to lead to a beautiful picture and outcome?


As an Asian immigrant daughter, I was constantly reminded of the sacrifices my parents made to get us to the US. ?Their existence was centered on their deep desire for my elder brother and I to get into an ivy league college and be “successful”.??I put that in quotes because success has many definitions for different people at different points of their lives. ?

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As an immigrant child, success in my family was defined with academic achievement and accomplishment. That little girl lived to serve as a source of pride for them which meant, getting straight A’s, following all the rules, and fulfilling expectations as they were laid out for her. ?The pursuit of anything that was not a valued investment in my future was highly discouraged; so, no sports, watching the TV outside of the news, play dates, parties, dating, etc. was allowed. ?I know!? BOOOORRRRING!?I was a boring child, with thick glasses and a terrible perm who was a rule follower, colored by numbers in the lines, did not ever question authority, and lived for only achieving a perfect score on every test.

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Please do not think I am not complaining.??I know my parents’ style was not the same as other parents whose children I envied because they seemingly enjoyed the things I was not permitted to do.? But the road of my life led me to an ivy league degree, an opportunity to live in one of the greatest cities in the world, and a career path that was likely paved smoother by the college degree I earned.? I am grateful beyond words for what I have…but

What if???....

  • …I had not pursued a college degree and decide to go out into the world to gather street smarts, life experiences, and meet interesting, thought-provoking people from all different walks of life??
  • …I questioned why rules existed, questioned if there was another way with my teachers, adults, leaders in my life and explored the great possibilities??
  • …I was encouraged to be creative and go against the grain, chart a course outside of the treads of many others before me and blaze my own trail?

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I will not know the answer to these questions, but I want to think differently for the future of our next generation. I want to think about the possibilities for those I mentor and those who I lead in the corporate world.??I want them to pursue interests and know potential is not measured by their pedigree and that they are valued.? I want them to know traditional paths are not always the right path and theirs should be uniquely their own.??As tuitions exorbitantly rise, I want for those who college degrees are out of reach to know that their lives still have expansive possibilities.? I want mostly for companies to explore options and provide more creative opportunities to help those who are disadvantaged in terms of resources. I want to redefine what success means.

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So, I ask, what if…. the world did not place such an intrinsic value in college degrees?

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In turn, I ask you CHROs and other business leaders, why wouldn’t a 4 year apprenticeship program for an intelligent high school graduate who is passionate, thirsty to learn and has potential to thrive in a corporate environment be just as valuable (or even more valuable) as someone who comes into your world with no practical experience and an ivy league degree? ?Perhaps there are other answers to consider, but we will not know until we ask ourselves...

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What if???....

#HumanResources #DiversityAndInclusion

Michelle Friedman-Yakoobian

Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School

1 年

such a great article with important point to consider. Our son is about to go through the college application process -- which seems so premature after the pandemic and very little opportunity for him to figure out what he wants to do. Apprenticeship would be a great opportunity for him...

Buck Keswani

CEO, Tantus Technologies, Inc.

1 年

Great article! Very thought provoking!

Bijal Choksi, MA, CHPC, PCC

Wharton Leadership and Development Coach | Helping employees reach their potential with ease

1 年

Debi Lee thanks for sharing your thoughts on this. I agree in general, even though I loved my college experience and learned a ton. But I also learned a ton in an online certification program. I wonder if Minds Matter might have a sub-program that is not focused on college admittance?

Jodi Gorenstein

HR Super Connector | Authentic Leader | Fractional HR Expert | Global HR Leader | Influencer | M&A |Organizational Development & Transformation | AI Enthusiast | Amex alum | University of Michigan | Columbia University

1 年

Love this! Congrats!

Bryan Ramos

Consulting Team Talent Senior Manager at Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

1 年

Great article Debi with very interesting points! I think organizations have a compelling reason to think differently about how they source and train talent. I also think Universities have a role to play in this just as much too. You raise great points that challenge both parties to act. What if we rejected the OR and embraced the AND in this conversation? What if higher education delivered talent to market that had exposure to the meta as well as hands-on training of the practical that is synonymous with the workforce in one product. The type of hands on learning that pushed students to Think-Act-Reflect, lead without authority, sit with ambiguity the list goes on. What if these ideas were not put in silos like they normally are but rather were interdependent in the university offering? I did a fair amount of this work by building curricula that truly integrated the practical with the theoretical by engaging industry partners with credit bearing worthy learning experiences in partnership with faculty. It was a win-win. This doesn’t solve everything but it’s one step closer to delivering the true value that education can. The key is willingness to experiment and to start the conversation. So thank you!

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