Another College Admissions Myth Busted: Success is NOT determined by the school you attend.
Many students and parents believe in this myth–that you are guaranteed success in life if you are admitted to (fill in your highly selective college or university here) or, conversely, that you will not be successful if you are denied by a short list of certain highly selective institutions.
We want to bust this myth wide open. Success is based on so many factors (one of which is how you even define success). The school you attend is just one variable in this equation. We believe that success in life–in work, family, friends, community and more–is determined by factors that will evolve and change over the course of your life.
The first hurdle for a student in the college selection process is to explore options and think about the short term future (undergraduate studies) in a concrete manner. This means focusing on the right professional and academic trajectory for you. Your success in this journey will be based on selecting the right career path, your internal motivation, enthusiasm, can-do/positive attitude, and a little bit of luck as well.
You can improve the odds of selecting well by taking advantage of the many opportunities available to you during your undergraduate years This might include getting involved in co-curricular activities and work opportunities. These experiences often guide you toward mentors and experiences which will shape your career decisions. Summer internships and shadowing experiences offer similar opportunities.
The definition of success will be different for each person and will change and expand as you learn more about yourself.
In the spirit of helping students and families identify the many different definitions of success regardless of the college or university you attend, we have compiled a list of “highly visible alumni” that you might find interesting. Admissions 1 is a New York-based consulting practice so this list is heavy on the SUNY system. Our list is filled with people who started at state schools and have reached the top of their respective fields:
Name | Professional field &/or title | Alma Mater |
Wolf Blitzer | Journalist |
SUNY Buffalo
|
Eileen Collins | Astronaut, first woman to command a space shuttle |
Corning Community College
|
Renee Fleming | Renowned Opera Singer |
SUNY Potsdam
|
Gregory Maguire | Writer, Author of Wicked |
SUNY Albany
|
Colin Powell | Former U.S. Sec. of State |
City College of New York
|
Al Roker | Television Personality |
SUNY Oswego
|
Jack Welch | Former Chairman and
CEO of GE |
UMASS Amherst |
Quite honestly, this list could go on. There are innumerable people (maybe not famous but still successful) tackling interesting problems in numerous fields every day.
So, the sky is the limit (well, for everyone except Eileen Collins–the sky does not limit our astronaut alumna!) — not the school you attend.