The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us

A college education can make a big difference in one’s quality of life, especially from a financial perspective. Statistics show that those with a bachelor’s degree make significantly more per year than those who do not have a degree, so it makes sense to pursue a degree if financial comfort is the goal. Many Americans, however, do not have access to a university degree either due to lack of funds, a subpar high school education, or countless other reasons. In contrast, other people seem to have no problem gaining admission to the best schools and continuing the life of prosperity they have grown to know and expect. This unequal distribution of opportunity forms the basis of this book, The Years that Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us.This book discusses some of the reasons why a quality higher education and the benefits one reaps from such an education, seem to be completely out of reach for so many Americans. The book includes stories of actual students who have struggled at some level as they attempted to gain admission to the university of their choosing, fit in socially with other well-off co-eds, and catch up academically to other students, many of whom went to the best prep schools, attended elite high schools, and had the best guidance along the way, far improving their chances for success in school, and in life.Several key arguments are presented in this book, and they get you thinking about things as they presently stand and whether the status quo needs rethinking. One is standardized tests like the SAT and ACT. In the past, a high standardized test score was essential to apply to most any university, but today, more and more colleges are making standardized tests optional. Another discussion point is the commonly held view that working hard and doing the right thing will lead to success, even though evidence shows this is not necessarily the case. Another core position that this book takes is the idea that young people can learn and achieve most anything with the correct approach and guidance; that there is no such thing as being naturally more gifted or smarter. It’s a matter of having the right opportunities while young and having access to the tools, technology, tutoring, quality teachers, and other things necessary to properly prepare a young person for the future.I like the personal stories presented in this book. They go far in illustrating the book’s key points and many who read may find a story they can personally relate to. As for the book’s main arguments, I agree that standardized tests- and for that matter tests in general- should be scaled back. As a university teacher myself, I have never been a fan of tests and I agree that we are far too reliant on test scores as an indicator of potential success. I can also agree that, when selecting a university, the prestige and ranking of the school does make a difference. It isn’t because the education or the professors are superior, it is more because prestigious employers assume that anyone admitted to these universities is likely to be highly motivated, extremely well disciplined, well organized, etc.One unexpected surprise as I read this book was the mention of the Texas college admissions model. Under the Texas system, any Texas high school graduate who finishes in the top ten percent of their class is automatically accepted to any public university in the state. Of course, all high schools are not created equally and finishing in the top ten percent in some high schools is certainly easier than at other high schools. But this approach at least gives hard- working, determined students a chance for admission to a prestigious school. I appreciate that the book makes mention of the Texas model as a possible way to break down the barriers that underprivileged kids face when they try to improve their education and prepare for their future.I can agree with much of what this book says, but one issue I have with it is that it seems to think that the underclasses rightfully deserve a shot at the most elite universities in the land. Is this really necessary or practical? Do the economically disadvantaged need to make that great of a leap? When I enrolled in college, I didn’t expect to gain admission to Yale or Princeton. I came from extremely modest means, and I was content to get accepted to a school that didn’t rank in the top tier of all universities. I was perfectly fine with this- I didn’t expect to make the jump all the way to the top. And guess what? I still improved my financial condition and moved up the economic ladder. I didn’t vault all the way to the top, but I did improve my social and economic class standing. It’s also not practical to think that everyone can gain acceptance to an Ivy league university. There is only so much space for new students.Going to college and earning a university degree does make a difference and the data back this up. The barriers to university admission are especially difficult to the economically disadvantaged and this book spells out several of the problems with higher education, for all to see. Some of the conclusions are debatable, but there is no doubt that life is easiest and prestigious education is most attainable for those who are wealthy. This book gets you thinking about these inequalities and it’s a very good read for those who want to know more about college admissions and the difficulties faced by those in the lower economic classes.

“Choose the most selective that will admit you.”According to higher education critics, here are only four colleges available to you:Ivy Elite University: This is the stuffy, centuries-old campus that produces the future leaders of government and business. The school’s endowment is larger than the GDP of a small country. The students lack diversity in almost every category except for a few token examples. They are the sons and daughters of the current leaders of government and business. Despite all of this, every student – and I mean every student - wants to go here.Big Party University: Ok, so you were not the brightest bulb in high school, but you were not the dullest knife either. You learned not to mix your metaphors but you also knew how to have fun. College is the next, natural step.Community College: This is the fallback plan. School maybe isn’t your thing and despite studying hard, you never achieved great grades. Fortunately, there is a college in town that can jumpstart you in the right direction. You will feel discouraged and perhaps shame, but don’t worry, society doesn’t expect much from you. It doesn’t even expect you to finish your associate’s degree.For Profit University: Congratulations, you have been scammed. If you are lucky, you have received a worthless degree and a lot of debt. Good luck.These four colleges do not accurately define American higher education. It’s easy to generalize and oversimplify. It’s easy to find errors and bemoan the whole system. Higher education is very complex. Education, as a whole, is extremely complicated. I have not found a system of higher education, in any country, that is perfect or categorically better. A system to educate a whole society is relatively new. As the author mentions in this book, at the start of the 20th century, most adults did not have a high school education. In just one short century, education has revolutionized and by the time the 21st century is over, it will be completely transformed again.So here’s my take…Ivy Elite University has its place. I think we overvalue degrees from specific schools. I don’t think a Harvard degree should be considered better than a degree from a public university, but I can’t control that. Brand names are extremely powerful. Why does a leather purse from one store cost thousands of dollars but only a few bucks at another?Big Party University: Look, any school can be a party school. Almost every college in America that serves traditional undergraduate students will have parties. Some students go to these schools, get an education and never attend one party. You are not legally bound to party.Community College: The stigma around community colleges is frustrating. Community colleges are great resources and I wish they had more resources. A million-dollar donation to a community college would serve thousands of students, a million-dollar donation to an Ivy Elite University would serve half a student, maybe.For Profit University: Um, I don’t have anything here. I am not a fan of for profit schools.I had a great college experience. The college I attended does not fit neatly into the aforementioned categories. Most colleges don’t fit these categories. College made me a better person. I am a proud of my degrees.I thought this book was decent. The author is definitely critical of the system but rightly so. There is a lot of information about inequity in the system from misguided standardized tests and the lack of support for first-generation students. However, when I finished this book, I did not feel enlightened. I didn’t find anything new.I felt like the book had a lot of filler; lots of biographical information on his subjects and descriptions of the rooms he is sitting in.I don’t think I would recommend this to anyone who knew a lot about higher education already.

Paul Tough's excellent book offers some reminders about the benefits and challenges of modern higher education, especially as it manifests in the more commercial environment of the United States. He contrasts the notion of HE as once thought of as a public good to the present manifestation of it as a personal investment. This shift is what gives the elites a range of advantages, from entrance preparation underwritten by parental resources to ability to pay once the costs have been pushed onto the individual, to the savvy application to the most selective school that will take you. All the while, Tough records the energy and enthusiasm within the sector for better and more equal outcomes, and the dismal results that mostly accompany it, pushing large loans onto poor people who are often the least likely to graduate at all, a dire outcome given there is no real advantage to them without a degree. As Tough notes, equity and inclusion is really pointless as long as the privileges of HE at the best institutions are dominated by SAT or ACT scores (giving an advantage to the academically talentless wealthy, and punishing the able poor). The more pressing issue is what to do about life outcomes for those without a degree or whose aspirations to have one have been poisoned by fear of the cost or duplicitous politicians (with degrees) looking for ways out of creating fairness in an increasingly unfair and divided society by belittling college as an experience.Tough builds his case from the data, and the College Board certainly comes in for a beating, but enhances it with individual stories that make sense of the patterns he is describing. There are some helpful insights into behaviours as well: those smart, rich students gathering around asking questions after the lecture are playing the system. Those polite, shy poor kids think this is cheating and won't do it, so it is time for all lecturers to think about who they are talking to, when and for how long (and how often). Issues of confidence and belonging also feature prominently, reminding the reader that ability will wither in those without the support necessary to see themselves succeeding. This might be more an American thing, given this is a national ideology, and Tough's book shows that most of their national stories (about hard work, fairness, tolerance or equal opportunity) look more like a ruse to justify leveraging the advantages of the wealthy. In this it has much in common with analyses of other aspects of American Life (see Daniel Markovits' 'The Meritocracy Trap'), but these structural unfairnesses are just as prevalent in the UK and likely to increase noting the rhetoric of UK politicians and the deliberate dismantling of progressive aspects of the UK's HE sector. Time to resist.