Posted on 02/10/2011 1:13:14 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Is it a crime to be self-taught? Apparently, in North Carolina, where David N. Cox and friends thought they needed new traffic signals so they undertook a sophisticated analysis of their own, and then found themselves under investigation for being too smart.
I would have ignored this case if it were just a North Carolina political thing, but the reality is, the same thing happens in the business world all the time. Credentials–especially Ivy League kinds–are way over-rated, often at the expense of true knowledge.
I’ve benefited from having credentials, so this isn’t just sour grapes on my part. In fact, in my first exempt level Human Resources job, my salary was higher than my more experienced coworkers largely due to the fact that I had a master’s degree (in political science) and they all had bachelor’s degrees. That worked well for me, but was unfair to them. They had to teach me how to be an HR person. I could do statistics (which was a needed skill), but hardly (in my opinion) outweighed the 3-5 years of experience they had. This hardly seems fair. (Although, I admit I did not object to my salary, and no it wasn’t a case of me being a better negotiator.)
That’s not the only place where having the right degree means more money, and in many cases, your only chance at the job. Do you want a raise as a teacher? Many school districts base raises on years of service and education level. Master’s degree holders get more money than others, regardless of actual teaching ability.
Marketplace recently did an investigation into teacher pay practices.
Billions go towards teachers’ raises, raises because the teacher earned a master’s degrees. Many are questioning the practice, especially because there’s not a lot of evidence that ...
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Really? That was sarcasm? Seemed a lot more like a snide comment made by a bewildered Ivy Leaguer upset because their “degree” didn’t earn them enough to get them out of the debt generated by the exorbitant tuition they paid to get said “degree”.....
This site (Cracked) definitely has blue language, and is a touch leftist, but has some interesting “lists”. This is one of the lists I found most interesting:
http://www.cracked.com/article_15753_8-celebrities-you-didnt-know-were-geeks.html
My son likes Offspring, and hasn’t let me forget yet their lead singer has a Masters in Molecular Biology.
The same is generally true for nursing education. A 4 year degree nurse will enter the field far less prepared for the realities of work than a 2 year degree nurse. The amount of information crammed into the 2 year program, along with the clinical time (hands on nursing experience) produces a sharp, ready to work nurse.
The 4 year types have a superior level of theory and 'book learning', but need more time to adjust to the environment of work-a-day nursing.
And he got hired? Wow.
Excellent. Wish there were more employers out that like him.
How about the “set aside” spots for those the dean deems worthy of entry?
RE: The Ivy League doesn’t look too bad on this ROI Chart.
Looking at the ROI Chart you just gave...
WOW, get a load of Grove City College. A private college that does not accept any Federal money whatsoever in order to remain independent. It also is ranked as one of the most conservative colleges in America. See here : http://www.yaf.org/topconservativecolleges.aspx
You pay an average of just $75,000 for a 4 year degree, and the average ROI is 12.1% ( almost as good as any of the Ivy League Schools out there ).
And its ROI is ranked in the top 20% of that list !!
Now that’s what I call VALUE FOR MONEY.
You can pay a lot less than that at an Ivy.
I went to one of the better SUNY schools. Very well respected in terms of getting into grad school. If you plan on staying in NYS, definitely look into SUNY. Out of state, however, there is not much name recognition.
I don’t think the Ivys even try to proclaim superiority in engineering.
They’re all about business and law. Where the big money is, not wage slavery.
My sister used to be an executive assistant for a Zurich headquartered consulting firm that ONLY hired Ivy League graduates. When she wasn’t teaching them how to use a copy machine for the 50th time, she was either making service appointments for their BMW’s or reserving tee times. She said they were mostly pleasant until they wanted to make sure you didn’t forget from where and from whose loins they sprang
I’m paying $44,000 for an MBA at a private Florida school. But I have 19 years in the workforce and need a change of pace. (The MBA is Healthcare Administration). I have an AA, a BS is Crim and a BS is Poli Sci. That didn’t work to well for me so I’m rolling the dice with the aging population in Florida and the medical environment. The program is hell but we’ll see how it works.
BTW, I think anyone can make it. Even those without formal education. I know I have to work a little harder than most. I never passed an algebra test, but just aced a statistics and a managerial accounting class.
Oh, and to add, Ivey League schools are all about connections and networking- the major benefit IMHO for business grads..
RE: You can pay a lot less than that at an Ivy.
If you get aid yes. Are you saying that most of those accepted at the Ivies get aid?
You’re quite right. These days an Ivy League degree simply discounts hands on experience and many lcasses they offer are completley impractical and pointless. How on earth is a degree on anything that ends with ‘studies’ worht anything?
I do that for free on LinkedIn.
No.
If you can get in, which is the hardest part, the well endowed Ivies may be able to offer you an education equal to or cheaper than that from state or other private schools.
My point is, if we refer to the ROI chart from earlier in which 5 of the top 10 are Ivies (even based on their official tuiton costs), if one had a child competent enough to be accepted why would you not consider a school with a better ROI?
I have dealt with students who where recruited by schools for various talents. It seemed to me that when FAFSA and finanacial statements were considered all colleges ended up costing about the same.
I'm not saying that the Ivies are the best possible world or offer the best education. Rather, I think for some students an Ivy may an offer excellent value. I also feel that Ivies take care of their students very well. The networking potential, once you graduate, is also well developed amongst Ivy grads.
I agree more with posters above who say as cheap a bachelors as possible and shoot for a good grad school for your major. I also think the importance of college in the US has more to do with employers looking for a college degrees as prerquisites on resumes than it does with any real learning for most students.
That said, I wouldn't dismiss an Ivy out of hand because of perceived costs if I had a child capable enough of being accepted.
At the absolute summit of that, should be an automatic disqualification for labeling oneself "a Rhodes scholar"...
the infowarrior
True, but you have to have already have done something to use LinkedIn effectively...
Bah, when I started out with LinkedIn I had my wits. I ahd a small business, but I hadn’t had it really figured out fully. Being on LinkedIn actually helped me and frankly I have more than enough work credentials now to do well enough. All you need is a work history and zest and imagination and anyone will do just fine.
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