What is the value of college? by David duKor-Jackson

I spent the beginning of this week in the company of a select group of college enrollment leaders and college counselors from across the country and around the world. Spending time in settings like these is personally and professionally affirming, if for no other reason than the fact that they provide a reminder that the vast majority of those who do this work are committed, first and foremost, to helping young people reach their aspirations.

Even though the challenges faced vary from role to role and institution to institution, some common themes emerged. While there were many issues that we wrestled with, the topic that I found most salient revolved around the value of higher education, which frankly is only in question because educational institutions have abdicated their responsibility to articulate the transformative impact that they should be having on every student who passes through their doors.

Whether schools believe that their value is manifest or they are simply preoccupied catering to the whims of a transactional public who view education solely as a means to an end, many seem to have lost the plot.

At MIT, we are mission-forward. Institutional decision making, writ large, and our admission selection process are guided by service to our mission, which I tend to summarize as utilizing our collective energy and intellect to solve the world’s biggest problems, although the full Mission Statement reads…

“The mission of MIT is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.

The Institute is committed to generating, disseminating, and preserving knowledge, and to working with others to bring this knowledge to bear on the world’s great challenges. MIT is dedicated to providing its students with an education that combines rigorous academic study and the excitement of discovery with the support and intellectual stimulation of a diverse campus community. We seek to develop in each member of the MIT community the ability and passion to work wisely, creatively, and effectively for the betterment of humankind.”

We begin every information session with a primer on our mission, so I think it would be difficult to come away from a visit with a member of our staff without having an appreciation for the value of an MIT education. While I know the inherent value of an educational experience on this campus, I also believe in the value of educational experiences available on other campuses. My belief, however, is no match for the broad societal skepticism about the ROI on most undergraduate degrees. It is incumbent on all of us to do better. Colleges and universities need to do a better job of centering their missions, specifically as they relate to the impact of their educational experience on their graduates, and prospective students and families need to demand more than a credential certifying that one has met the requirements for a degree.

So students, as you are exploring campuses in the process of building out your list of schools to which you will likely apply, make sure that you are asking substantive questions about the transformative impact of an undergraduate experience and the ways in which an institution’s mission aligns with your own goals for the future, in addition to your questions about dormitories, dining halls and climbing walls.