Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?
Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?
When it comes to the topic of attending college, most of us will readily agree that obtaining a higher education is important. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of paying for it. Whereas some are convinced that tuition is too high, others maintain that it is important no matter the cost. Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus address just such an issue in their essay “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission”. Hacker and Dreifus discuss the issue of college tuition fees versus the quality of teaching they offer, but also point out that “colleges are taking on too many roles and doing none of them well” (180). They offer solutions and several proposals on how to improve the college experience. The main point they make, however is that colleges “have lost track of their basic mission to challenge the minds of young people” (180). At first glance, college students might say that attending to their dream college is their high priority. But on closer inspection, are students receiving a fair value for their investment? What are they gaining from higher education? “Graduating with six figures’ worth of debt is becoming increasingly common”, Hacker and Dreifus say. If Hacker and Dreifus are right that higher education industry is in need of a reform, as I think they are, then we need to reassess the popular assumption that attending to your dream college should be your priority no matter the cost of tuition.
I agree with Hacker and Dreifus’ claim that a college education is worth more than the financial cost because I have experienced it first-hand. One of the most important things to remember when it comes to an education is that a student’s original purpose was to become an expert on a certain subject. In order for people to feel that higher education is important, “Colleges should demand good teaching. They must become conscientious, caring, and attentive to every corner of their
When it comes to the topic of attending college, most of us will readily agree that obtaining a higher education is important. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of paying for it. Whereas some are convinced that tuition is too high, others maintain that it is important no matter the cost. Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus address just such an issue in their essay “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission”. Hacker and Dreifus discuss the issue of college tuition fees versus the quality of teaching they offer, but also point out that “colleges are taking on too many roles and doing none of them well” (180). They offer solutions and several proposals on how to improve the college experience. The main point they make, however is that colleges “have lost track of their basic mission to challenge the minds of young people” (180). At first glance, college students might say that attending to their dream college is their high priority. But on closer inspection, are students receiving a fair value for their investment? What are they gaining from higher education? “Graduating with six figures’ worth of debt is becoming increasingly common”, Hacker and Dreifus say. If Hacker and Dreifus are right that higher education industry is in need of a reform, as I think they are, then we need to reassess the popular assumption that attending to your dream college should be your priority no matter the cost of tuition.
I agree with Hacker and Dreifus’ claim that a college education is worth more than the financial cost because I have experienced it first-hand. One of the most important things to remember when it comes to an education is that a student’s original purpose was to become an expert on a certain subject. In order for people to feel that higher education is important, “Colleges should demand good teaching. They must become conscientious, caring, and attentive to every corner of their
Cited: Hacker, Andrew, and Claudia Dreifus. “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission?” “They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. Ed. Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 2012. 179-88. Print.