Eddy's Moral High Ground: Normalization of College
Eddy Calkins '22 Editor in Chief
For some, graduating high school is a dream, but for others, it’s just another step along the way towards an impressive but meaningless PhD. Every high school senior gets asked the same question almost every day: “What college are you going to next year?” As Howard County students, we are surrounded by the expectation that we will go to college, yet that is not the only option that can lead to a successful future.
In many’s eyes, college is a dream that only a few can achieve. In fact, most applications question whether you are the first in your family to attend college. College is a privilege and a choice. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, only 66% of high school graduates are enrolled in college directly after graduating high school. Maryland is below the national average, with 60.5% attending college within 12 months of graduating high school.
Conversely, graduates of Howard High School far exceed the national college going statistics. 92% of the 2018 graduates of Howard High are enrolled in a 4 year college or university within 24 months of earning their high school diploma (MD School Report Card). This gap between national average and expectations in the Howard hallways doesn’t make it any easier to seek out options other than college. If you ask any senior, the college process is anything but painless. Yet, it’s advertised as a rewarding process, so Howard students begin the aggressively competitive journey through GT classes, standardized testing, private school enrollments, tutoring, SAT retakes and summer school credits for unweighted courses - mini-versions of the seemingly inevitable and highly competitive college application process. It is a timeline that, by the time you start, there’s no motivation to turn around. I know I’m not the only one who remembers the crinkled, white-with-green-lettering “College and Career Ready” posters in the back of our elementary and middle school classes. The stress of the competition brings down self-esteem and ends with the onset of senioritis.
Let’s add some more stress and mention the increase in applications paired with the decrease in acceptance rates. Here at HCPSS, we are fortunate enough that our graduation rate is continually above 90%, which encourages us to think graduating college is a given. The University of Maryland’s Fall 2021 Freshman application data shows a significant increase in applications. There were over 55,000 applications (which is almost 20,000 more than the past decade’s average) with just over 20,000 acceptances - or 36%. And shockingly (or not), the national college drop-out rate is 40%, according to the Education Data Initiative. I’m no experienced gambler, but I don’t think those are good odds for the average student.
Aside from the success rate of college-goers, the cost of college is a hidden factor in the early stages of Howard County’s push for students to follow the prescribed path. The cost of college is increasing. Many have to rely on scholarships (another competitive process) and student loans. It is difficult to have a successful life if you’re paying student loans while in debt. There are numerous financial plans out there, but in the end, college is expensive.
As a community, we are annoyingly brainwashed into thinking college is the only way to succeed. Remarkably, HCPSS’ support and information on options such as trade schools, employment and gap years is limited. Of course, college is an adequate solution for your future. It is completely worth the investment for students who have a good idea of what career they will have and know that that career requires certain degrees. However, there are a notable number of high schoolers that graduate with no idea of what they want to do in the future. There are more stories than not where a person goes into college with one idea and comes out with a completely different degree or life choice. This accounts for the 75%-plus that go into college as an undecided major or change majors at least once. (Central College). My advice: Explore options besides college. The internet is a (still) underrated resource to find other potential options. You can talk to professionals in your interest areas to see their journey so that you know exactly what you need to do. College is the right decision for many, but it does not have to be the right decision for you.
In many’s eyes, college is a dream that only a few can achieve. In fact, most applications question whether you are the first in your family to attend college. College is a privilege and a choice. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, only 66% of high school graduates are enrolled in college directly after graduating high school. Maryland is below the national average, with 60.5% attending college within 12 months of graduating high school.
Conversely, graduates of Howard High School far exceed the national college going statistics. 92% of the 2018 graduates of Howard High are enrolled in a 4 year college or university within 24 months of earning their high school diploma (MD School Report Card). This gap between national average and expectations in the Howard hallways doesn’t make it any easier to seek out options other than college. If you ask any senior, the college process is anything but painless. Yet, it’s advertised as a rewarding process, so Howard students begin the aggressively competitive journey through GT classes, standardized testing, private school enrollments, tutoring, SAT retakes and summer school credits for unweighted courses - mini-versions of the seemingly inevitable and highly competitive college application process. It is a timeline that, by the time you start, there’s no motivation to turn around. I know I’m not the only one who remembers the crinkled, white-with-green-lettering “College and Career Ready” posters in the back of our elementary and middle school classes. The stress of the competition brings down self-esteem and ends with the onset of senioritis.
Let’s add some more stress and mention the increase in applications paired with the decrease in acceptance rates. Here at HCPSS, we are fortunate enough that our graduation rate is continually above 90%, which encourages us to think graduating college is a given. The University of Maryland’s Fall 2021 Freshman application data shows a significant increase in applications. There were over 55,000 applications (which is almost 20,000 more than the past decade’s average) with just over 20,000 acceptances - or 36%. And shockingly (or not), the national college drop-out rate is 40%, according to the Education Data Initiative. I’m no experienced gambler, but I don’t think those are good odds for the average student.
Aside from the success rate of college-goers, the cost of college is a hidden factor in the early stages of Howard County’s push for students to follow the prescribed path. The cost of college is increasing. Many have to rely on scholarships (another competitive process) and student loans. It is difficult to have a successful life if you’re paying student loans while in debt. There are numerous financial plans out there, but in the end, college is expensive.
As a community, we are annoyingly brainwashed into thinking college is the only way to succeed. Remarkably, HCPSS’ support and information on options such as trade schools, employment and gap years is limited. Of course, college is an adequate solution for your future. It is completely worth the investment for students who have a good idea of what career they will have and know that that career requires certain degrees. However, there are a notable number of high schoolers that graduate with no idea of what they want to do in the future. There are more stories than not where a person goes into college with one idea and comes out with a completely different degree or life choice. This accounts for the 75%-plus that go into college as an undecided major or change majors at least once. (Central College). My advice: Explore options besides college. The internet is a (still) underrated resource to find other potential options. You can talk to professionals in your interest areas to see their journey so that you know exactly what you need to do. College is the right decision for many, but it does not have to be the right decision for you.