College Prestige Culture

OPPORTUNITY OVER REPUTATION Why college rankings aren’t as essential as they seem

Article by Jake McCreary Graphic by Jaidyn Holt

As we near the end of the first semester of one of the most “unique” semesters of Trinity Prep’s history, the newest generation of juniors is nearly ready to formally begin the college application process. With dozens of essays to be written and important decisions to be made, it’s easy for any student to lose track of what they truly want for their futures. Students desire certainty when making potentially life-altering decisions, thus they turn to a trait every college has: prestige.

A school’s prestige or ranking is what makes it deceptively misleading to many applicants. Students and parents alike will equate the prestige of a university with the probability of success and happiness; the mental image of a Yale or Harvard degree hanging on the wall is the ultimate goal.

In the field of psychology, the term “prestige bias” refers to a phenomenon where people are more likely to believe or follow something when a prestigious or famous person backs it up. A similar effect is on full display in the minds of many applicants when they look up national college ranking lists.

In actuality, the college selection process is far more complex than any ranking list will lead you to believe. Experts say that a variety of factors ought to take higher priority when considering the best college for a student.

According to New York Times columnist Frank Bruni, the vast majority of parents and children believe that an acceptance into a highly selective school isn’t just another goal. A yes or no from an ivy league school to them is the collective measure of a student’s worth, an essential verdict on that student’s life.

The pressing issue with relying on prestige rankings is their susceptibility to manipulation. In response to many applicants’ attraction to highly ranked universities, colleges will employ several tactics designed to lower admission rates and raise their average test scores, ranging from delaying admissions to being test-optional.

These methods often lead to disproportionate levels of prestige that have little correlation to ones’ odds of success. Researchers have pointed out a serious disconnect between the average citizen’s perception of prestige and how much prestige actually matters through tests and surveys.

For example, a school’s 20-year net return of investment, or the difference between the median graduate salary from a university minus the median salary of a student who only attended high school, reflects that prestige isn’t equivalent to getting a high-paying job. Surprisingly, no ivy league schools appear in the top ten ranked schools. Other schools like the U.S. Military Academy, SUNY Maritime College, and the Colorado School of Mines all have 20-year NROIs circa $1,000,000 despite barely making the top 100 in terms of prestige.

A 2019 Gallup poll revealed that about 80% of American adults see a job candidate’s alma mater as very important in the consideration process. However, the same poll revealed that the majority of American business leaders (54%), those that actually offer job positions to graduates, regard a candidate’s degree as not important at all.

What matters most when looking for the ideal school is the quantity and well-suitedness of the opportunities that the school presents. Programs like internships, study abroad opportunities, etc. are an academics’ true keys to preparing for the real world as well as appealing to potential employers.

While one may think that the top ranked schools are as high as they are because they possess the highest quantity and quality programs, that’s actually not the case. The correlation between a school’s prestige and the average salary of graduates isn’t very strong.

When consulted, the college counselling team stressed that a college’s ranking ought to be a low priority for any applicant.

“It should not play any role, whatsoever in a student’s college search,” college counselor Maya Lupa said. “Students should be looking for schools that fit all aspects of their identity — academic goals, extracurricular activities, cost, location.”

For example, let’s take shoes—there are many brand name shoes that vary in popularity. If you have a particular brand of shoes that is extremely expensive and popular because it is released in limited editions do you go out and buy them? What if they are uncomfortable? What if you can’t walk in them? Would you commit to wearing them for four years and spend a good portion of your saving on them in order to be popular?

Former Trinity student and current UF sophomore Pranav Upalappati provides a good bottom line when it comes to college choice.

“Choosing a college should have little to do with its prestige,” Upalappati said. “Thorough research into a school’s opportunities and programs is how you determine what’s best for you and your future.”

2 out of 1O CEOs in the Fortune 5OO’s top ten highest net worth attended Ivy League schools Out of the top ten fastest growing companies of this year, O attended an Ivy League school The Ivy League with the highest 2O-year NROI is Princeton, coming in at number 15 in the country