Over the years, I have been writing about misconceptions regarding the schooling process. The purpose of these posts is to explain why I disagree with various comments that I have heard people make about schooling. These are meant as personal thoughts rather than conclusive proof, and I will admit that I'm not always the best at explaining my thoughts. Regardless, I have decided that I should be willing to share these posts when I encounter someone online who makes an argument that I have already discussed.
A lot of people think that if someone graduated from Harvard, he must be intelligent. I have two words for that: Barrack Obama. If you don't agree with that one, how about George W. Bush or Mitt Romney?
Prestigious schools can help people succeed, but this is primarily due to the fact that they look good on paper. If you have a brilliant mind with a GED going up against an imbecile who graduated from Harvard, people are more likely to be impressed by the imbecile from Harvard.
Much like Harvard looks better than most colleges, pretty much any state college looks better than a community college. This is the same concept. The better college does not mean alumni are more intelligent. I have met my share of college graduates over the years. Generally speaking, they are confident and cocky but struggle when asked to share independent thoughts. Some of the dumbest people you will ever meet proudly tout their collegiate accomplishments.
The problem that we are seeing is that intelligence is impossible to measure, but people want to find shortcuts. For example, businesses don't want to learn who every applicant is before making hiring decisions. By assuming that a college graduate is more intelligent than a high school dropout, they can save time and effort. Politics see something similar. The most honorable and intelligent candidate would never win if he or she failed to acquire a degree from a respected college.
I hate these shortcuts. Intelligence (as well as education and work ethic) should be valued more than schooling history. Prestige is not a valid replacement.
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