Does it matter where you go to college? A 7-way Debate Response

Out of all these responses, I thought that the What You Do vs. Where You Go response was the most persuasive out of all them because it made the most sense to me and I agreed with the points made. One of the points that I thought was very persuasive was the summary of of an event at a high school run by the guidance councilors.

“They hold posters featuring the names and faces of famous people while their peers and parents shout out with confidence the names of elite colleges they assume the celebrities attended. The key to success in college and beyond has more to do with what students do with their time in college than where they choose to attend. The “oohs” and “aahs” follow as the audience learns that Steven Spielberg, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates dropped out of college, that Oprah Winfrey is an alumna of Tennessee State and that Ken Burns graduated from Hampshire College.” (O'Connell paragraph 1).

I think that this quote perfectly illustrates the point that is attempted to be made in this debate response because it shows that people that are celebrities that are worth millions of dollars didn't even go to “elite colleges” and they are still some of the most successful people of today.

One of the least persuasive responses in my opinion is Skip the Admissions Game by Kevin Carey. I think that he gives an arrogant aura when he writes things like: “They're nice places to hang out for four years and you'll probably learn a few things. Even if you don't, you'll still get a piece of paper signifying that you were smart enough to get in and rich enough to pay for it. People care about stuff like that. “

I think that if he was a little bit more polite and less “know-it-allish” then I would be more willing to listen and consider his idea and point of view. I find it hard to read and process papers when they have a hard to understand sense of humor.