One thing I learned through reading this chapter is about the role a university plays in determining a student's future. Within the conversation of branding and reputations, the author states that graduates from Harvard are known to be very successful in life. He then asks the question, ".. is that because they learned things at Harvard that made them successful, or is it because Harvard finds and admits talented students who would have done extraordinarily well in life anyway?" (Wheelan 121).
The paragraph goes on to explore a study done that compares the successes of students that got into both a highly selective school and one that was not so highly selective, with some of the students choosing to go to the highly selective institution and some choosing their other option. The study's conclusion was that no matter what school each student actually attended, the average incomes of these intellectually similar students was relatively the same. "Overall, the quality of the student appears to matter more later in life than the quality of the university he or she attended... 'Don't believe that the only school worth attending is one that would not admit you'" (122).
This part of the chapter is especially relevant as we are applying to colleges, and it makes me think about the college search in a new way. Even though certain schools may have higher reputations or look especially good on a resume, each college has its own special features and it is ultimately the student who decides what will come of his or her college experience and life.
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