Summary Of Should Everyone Go To College By Stephanie Owen And Sawhill

Adam (2012) acknowledge that the majority of the public felt that getting a college degree was not a good value for money (p. 2). “For example, 57% of those surveyed said they did not get good value for their money with higher education, and 75% said that college is too expensive for most Americans” (Adam, 2012, p. 2). There is interesting tension in the publics opinion in regard to college. Many college presidents have noticed a number of trends in higher education, especially the rise of student loan debt. “In addition, the majority of presidents (52%) said that college students study less now than they did 10 years ago” (Adam, 2012, p. 1).

Rhetorical Analysis on “Should everyone go to College?” People always wonder if college is worth it and if the amount made after college outweighs the cost it takes to get into college. Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill provide an effective argument by saying that for most it is wise to go to college because of the Rate of return that college yields and the Variation in the Return to Education. (Page. 208-218)

In our modern society, College is a key to success. As a result, people with college degrees tend to receive more respect than people without college degrees. In Anthony P. Carnevale’s essay, “College is still worth it”, published in January of 2011, Carnevale argues that the official Bureau of Labor (BLS) data is not correct. This is because the income data show that employers pay workers with college degrees a remuneration inducement. As specified by Carnevale, it would be illogical if the education associated with the college degree were not upscale for the job.

In their essay “Should everyone Go to College,” Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill exemplify that despite popular belief, college does not always benefit all individuals who attend. With tuition on the rise, many students are in debt before they have even decided their major or career path. This is because in today society one feels compelled or pushed to go to college in order to be successful in finding a well-paying job. Owen and Sawhill’s explain the importance of planning in their essay stating, “We emphasize that a 17- or 18-year-old deciding whether and where to go to college should carefully consider his or her own likely path of education and career before committing a considerable amount of time and money to that degree” (Owen, Sawhill

When people think of college they tend to focus on whether it may or may not set them up for a successful financial future. However, in his article “Colleges Prepare People for Life”, Freeman Hrabowski reminds us this is not the sole purpose of a college education. Mr. Hrabowski builds his argument by adjusting a template that introduces us to the ongoing debate over the merits of a college education. After, Mr. Hrabowski has introduced the popular opinions on the topic he empathizes that both sides are missing the bigger picture.

To many, college is a tremendous amount of money and people often perceive college as a way to rack up “unmanageable debt” (Hrabowski 259). This is not always true; some individuals who earn a degree from a university receive jobs faster, earn more money, and contribute their knowledge to their communities. Hrabowski also states

According to Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill, in their essay Should Everyone Go to College?, claim that the return of investment from going to college depends on the degree, institution, and how long a student stays in college. There is a different return of investment for each different degree. For example, according to the graph on page 215, Engineering is paid more than education. Therefore a student attending college for an engineering degree would have a greater return of investment then a student attending college for a degree in education. The return of investment is also dependent on the kind of institution a student attends.

According to Andrew J. Rotherham’s article “Actually, College Is Very Much Worth it. ”he states, “Meanwhile, in 2010, the unemployment rate was 9.2 percent for those with only some college and more than 10 percent for those with just a high school degree, but it was 5.4 percent for college graduates.” The data Rotherham provides shows that even with some college education, you have a higher chance of getting employed than those with just a high school degree. The one group that outweighs all the others is the college graduates proving that with a college degree unemployment is less likely to befriend people who do pursue college. Some people might say that there are loads of jobs that do not require a college degree, especially in this time and age.

In the articles “Stop Scaring Students” by Devorah Lieberman and “College Is a Waste of Time and Money” by Caroline Bird, the authors debate the value of college education. This topic is vital to a college student's success because the articles may help mold their decisions. While Lieberman and Bird’s opinions may differ, they share a common interest- to educate students on their options after high school. In “Stop Scaring Students”, Devorah Lieberman argues that a college education is still a valuable investment in today’s world.

College has had an increase in the amount of attention received over the course of a few decades as the debate on whether or not to go to college has waged on. Amongst the tidal wave of college advocates is Anthony Carnevale; he argues that people should go to college as it provides a substantially higher chance of being able to sustain themselves with higher income over the course of their lives. (par. 3) There is strong opposition to the societal preaching by Stephanie Owen and Isabelle Sawhill who claim that a college education only provides a higher income in certain fields of study.

A Rhetorical Analysis of “Should Everyone Go to College?” Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill’s “Should Everyone Go to College” is broadly argued across the idea that college isn’t the smartest investment for everyone. College can’t just be a pick, choose, then go there sort of deal, it is something that needs to be thought about and carefully observed. There are many factors that go into choosing a college, such as “what’s better, an associates or a bachelor’s” or “how much will college cost?” However, those are just a few underlying factors in considering college.

The authors do a fantastic job of presenting these opinions fairly. The authors always present data or figures supporting college degree benefits. They also never undermine the quality or credibility of the data. However, the authors do a poor job of reacting to the opposing evidence. The authors usually react by stating that “for a given individual, the benefits [of going to college] may not outweigh the costs” (212).

Currently in America, the popularity of attending college is increasing, but so are tuition costs. Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill, in their essay, Should Everyone Go to College?, refute the idea that college is a necessity to live a prosperous life. Their purpose is to inspire a change in legislation to make information on the drawbacks of college more accessible to high school students. Owen and Sawhill effectively appeal to their audience of legislators by systematically proving that college is not a necessity At the start of the essay, directly after the thesis, Owen and Sawhill immediately address a popular counter argument. They point out that a common problem with statistics about college versus high school graduates is that “the smartest most motivated people are both more likely to go to college and more likely to be financially successful”

“Is College the best option why or why not discusses the controversial issue of whether college is important or not. On one hand, while some argue that college is very important. Stephanie Owens and Isabel Sawhill writers of article “Should Everyone Go to College” asserts that we may be doing a disservice by telling all young people that college is the best option. Owens feels that college may be of service to some people, but not the best option for everyone.

A rising issue in today’s society is deciding whether or not college is worth the cost. There is an extreme amount of pressure that is forced upon high school students by parents, teachers, and peers to further their education and attend college. However, there is research that challenges the thought that college is the best possible path for a person to take. College may be a great investment for some people, but it is not meant for everyone. This is supported by the arguments that colleges are expensive, jobs do not always require a college degree, and students are forced to choose a lifestyle before being exposed to the real world.