I worked as a college and career counselor and admissions counselor for over a decade, helping students apply to colleges and discern their postsecondary plans. What I learned from this work can be summed up nicely by the title of Frank Bruni’s memorable and insightful book, Where You Go is Not Who You’ll Be.
Where Do the Most Successful People Attend College?
In the first chapter of the book, Bruni wanted to identify where the most financially successful people attended college. For most, the first instinct would be to think about an Ivy League school or a college with a similar style of prestige and admissions selectivity. The answer? Among the chief executives of the top 10 highest-grossing companies, only one had graduated from an Ivy League school. In the top 30? A diverse collection of schools including the University of Central Oklahoma, the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State, and Princeton.
The Ivy League
Side note- this is a reminder that the “Ivy League” is a sports conference and not a substitute term for “prestigious school”, but I understand why people think that. While I was writing this piece I searched “what is an Ivy League school” in Google and the Google AI overview said:
Sigh.
This is not bash on Ivy League schools. This is coming from a college and career counselor who has facilitated hundreds of meetings with high school students and their parents. I have felt the anxiety and tension that that comes from students trying to get into that “ivy league school” or “dream school” because they think it’s the only way they will succeed. We, as parents, counselors, and influencers, have not done a good enough job of debunking this way of thinking.
It’s Not Where You Go, It’s What You Do When You Get There
Bruni’s research throughout the book backs up the claim in the title- where you go is not who you’ll be. We all know this, but it’s nice when the research backs up our intuitions. Instead, students and parents should focus on maximizing their opportunities for growth at whatever school they choose.
No college is going to be much help if you stay in your room and play video games. On the other hand, EVERY college will have opportunities to lead, start a club, study abroad, take an internship, meet friends, and develop good habits.
Students,
Where you go is not who you’ll be.
Everyone else,
Instead of dreaming about THAT job, THAT season of life, or THAT future possibility, how can we make the most of the opportunities where our feet are planted?
