Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be Summary

"Where you go to college matters far less than what you do while you're there." - Frank Bruni

1. Elite Schools Don’t Hold a Monopoly on Success

Many equate attending Ivy League schools with guaranteed success, but that's far from reality. The narrative that these institutions are gateways to extraordinary careers is misleading. Many incredibly successful individuals graduate from less prominent schools.

Graduates of many state universities and lesser-known colleges achieve significant accomplishments. For instance, only 30% of Fortune 500 CEOs from the top 100 companies have degrees from Ivy League schools. Meanwhile, institutions like the University of Central Oklahoma and the University of Minnesota also boast alumni who lead top corporations.

Chris Christie, despite cherishing his education at the University of Delaware, felt compelled to recommend Princeton to his son due to its reputation. Yet, his story illustrates how achievement hinges on personal effort rather than the prestige of an institution.

Examples

• Only one Fortune 500 top-10 CEO in 2014 had an Ivy League undergraduate degree.
• Schools like Penn State and University of Minnesota regularly produce corporate leaders.
• Chris Christie’s advice to his son was more about public perception than quality of education.

2. College Admission Challenges Are Fueled by Strategic Bias

Ivy League schools have exceptionally low acceptance rates, but this isn’t only about higher standards. These universities strategically cast wide nets to bolster their applicant numbers, thereby lowering their acceptance percentages and increasing their perceived prestige.

Legacy preferences further complicate access. Research from Harvard demonstrated that legacy students enjoyed a 23.3% better chance of admission compared to non-legacy applicants with similar qualifications. This bias ensures that admission at elite universities often favors applicants from affluent backgrounds.

The manipulation of application numbers paired with inherent biases reveals that perceived exclusivity often doesn’t equate to academic meritocracy, forcing students to take extreme measures to stand out.

Examples

• Stanford’s acceptance rate hit a record low of 5.05% in 2015 by increasing applicants, not standards.
• Yale’s acceptance rate dropped from 20% in the 1980s to 6.5% in 2015 for similar reasons.
• Legacy bias remains significant, granting favored status to children of alumni.

3. Extreme Measures Around College Applications

The frenzy around getting into top colleges has pushed parents and students to unprecedented actions. Many invest thousands in preparation courses and even start planning their children’s education from preschool to gain an edge.

Some companies, like Aristotle Circle, charge parents hundreds of dollars per hour to prepare toddlers for competitive elementary schools. Meanwhile, students craft extreme, and sometimes bizarre, application essays to stand out, which can backfire, as seen in Yale’s Michael Motto’s experience reading an applicant's unusual, unsettling admission story.

This demonstrates the growing desperation to gain the approval of elite institutions, creating undue pressure on families and students.

Examples

• SAT prep services like Bespoke Education charge upwards of $5,000 for tutoring alone.
• Parents spend hundreds of dollars per hour preparing children for kindergarten.
• An applicant discussed urinating on herself in an essay, trying to convey passion for learning.

4. Rankings Misguide More Than They Inform

College rankings like those by US News & World Report wield tremendous influence over applicants' decisions. However, their methodology is far from objective and often prioritizes reputation or resources over actual educational quality.

Yale’s former admissions dean, Jeffrey Brenzel, criticized rankings for neglecting student outcomes like job placements or personal growth. Instead, rankings rely on surveys filled out by people who are often unfamiliar with other schools, leading to superficial judgments.

Focusing on rankings can mislead students, encouraging them to overlook schools that align better with their needs and goals.

Examples

• High school counselors and university officials rank colleges based on limited knowledge.
• Yale’s Brenzel compared US News’s ranking methodology unfavorably to that of vacuum cleaner reviews.
• Factors like endowment size outweigh real-world student experiences in rankings.

5. Socioeconomic Homogeneity at Elite Institutions

Elite universities often lack diversity, which limits opportunities for students to engage with differing perspectives. This homogeneity diminishes the broader educational value of college.

Howard Schultz, former Starbucks CEO, credited attending the diverse Northern Michigan University for expanding his horizons. Yet, Rebecca Fabbro’s research at Yale revealed that nearly half of the student body came from families earning over $200,000 annually, highlighting how elite schools often cater to the country’s wealthiest.

Such restricted diversity means many students miss the opportunity to interact across socioeconomic boundaries during these formative years.

Examples

• Almost half of Yale students’ families earn over $200,000 annually.
• Schultz credited his experiences at Northern Michigan University for his worldview.
• Midwestern students benefitted from meeting Schultz, their first Jewish peer.

6. Success Demands More Than Intelligence or Prestige

Prestige and sheer intelligence alone don’t predict career or life satisfaction. Qualities like persistence, creativity, and communication skills are vital but rarely taught in classrooms.

Venture capitalist Bradley Tusk observed that elite-school graduates may lack grit and adaptability gained through real-world challenges. Moreover, studies show that deeply engaging in college activities correlates more closely with lifelong happiness than the credentials of a prestigious school.

These findings reveal that personal effort and experiences are far more powerful determinants of success than pedigree.

Examples

• Tusk regularly favors hardworking, adaptable candidates over purely academic standouts.
• A 2013 survey found that meaningful campus involvement leads to happier lives.
• College prestige had minimal impact on graduates’ overall well-being and career satisfaction.

7. Narrow Vision Hampers Students at Prestige-driven Schools

Elite universities, instead of broadening horizons, can narrow them. An unhealthy focus on lucrative careers like consulting leads many students to abandon diverse aspirations.

Harvard researchers found "funnel effects" guiding undergrads toward specific high-paying options rather than letting them explore multiple paths. Pulitzer winner Junot Díaz noted that elite schools often produce highly talented individuals who are woefully unprepared for broader life challenges.

Such narrowing of focus diminishes the holistic development that college is intended to provide.

Examples

• Students at Harvard narrowed career interests significantly by senior year.
• Díaz saw “fragile thoroughbreds” emerge from elite institutions rather than well-rounded adults.
• A UCLA study found growing materialism among U.S. students attending prestigious schools.

8. Smaller Schools Foster Creativity and Growth

Smaller colleges often allow for more personal attention from faculty, letting students explore their interests more deeply. Author John Green attributes much of his success to his close mentorship experience at Kenyon College.

In contrast, prestigious universities may emphasize careerism at the expense of intellectual curiosity, as seen at Yale Law School. Smaller schools also promote interdisciplinary interests, as evidenced by Tony Award-winning set designer Scott Pask, who found his passion while studying architecture at the University of Arizona.

Ultimately, smaller schools frequently nurture qualities like adaptability and creativity that large institutions overlook.

Examples

• John Green’s mentorship experience at Kenyon helped bolster his writing career.
• Scott Pask transitioned from architecture to set design because of interdisciplinary opportunities.
• Hiram Chodosh, observing Yale’s students, noted an overemphasis on career plotting.

9. College is What You Make of It, Not Where You Go

What matters most about college isn’t where you attend but how you spend your time there. Building meaningful relationships, seeking fresh experiences, and getting involved in impactful extracurriculars make all the difference.

For instance, entrepreneurs, creators, and leaders often emerge from less prestigious backgrounds because they prioritize authentic growth and seize opportunities. Without this mindset, even prestigious degrees lose their value.

This perspective transforms higher education into a launchpad for adaptable, self-driven individuals without undue reliance on external validation.

Examples

• Being deeply involved in campus life leads to greater career and life satisfaction.
• Leaders like Schultz and Pask thrived because of meaningful choices, not elite branding.
• Diverse interactions during college foster adaptability, which elite schools often neglect.

Takeaways

1. Focus on personal growth and meaningful activities during college, regardless of the institution's prestige.
2. Seek schools that align with your learning needs instead of relying on arbitrary rankings.
3. Cultivate qualities like grit, adaptability, and curiosity to prepare for success in life and work.