How Important Is The College You Attend To Future Success?

Cheating is nothing new.  It's been going on forever.  Today, the schemes are more sophisticated, the money involved, greater as well.  I was in college 55 years ago, and cheating was taking place then.  At that time, students who wanted high  SAT scores would pay a smart person to take the exam.  There were no photo ID's, so all you needed was to find a smart guy or gal and pay him/her to take the test.  You could also find people who would write papers and take written exams for you, a good way to improve GPA.  Things are more sophisticated today.

Today, a shady college counselor will show you the way.  In the process they will make thousands of dollars helping clients who otherwise wouldn't get in.  They will write  essays, fake work and community experience, lie about sports the clients play.  The current scandal involving celebrities and high profile business people does all that and more.  One situation even proclaimed that the student was a pole vaulter, with photo shopped pictures of the student performing vaults.

What are parents who involve their children in such deceit, teaching their kids?  Are they teaching them that regardless of the quality of their grades, their position of wealth and fame will get them into their school of choice?  Are they teaching them that success is not necessarily based on hard work, honesty and good character, but rather who you know?  Yes, they are.

What kind of students will they be when they get into Stanford or Yale, without actually qualifying?  What about the students that worked their tail off, gave up parties and fun, to study, just to be overlooked because their parents didn't have the money to pay someone off?

I always wanted my kids to go to college at a school where they would feel comfortable, could compete and be successful.  Every child is not cut out for Harvard.  Lots of successful students come out of lesser known schools.  The college you graduate from is important in landing your first job.  After that, companies look at your performance on the job.  A top school can only get you so far.  Then you have to make it in the real world.

I always taught my children that honesty, hard work, and good character were most important in life. I fear that parents who cheat for their children are going to create adults that feel that because of power and money they are entitled.  What a shame.  These parents are missing what's really important.