English Essay

18 May 20**

Sample Response Essay

College: Still Worth It?

Every summer, high school seniors go through the same dilemma. Where will they go to college? Increasingly, many are asking if they should even go to college given the current economic situation and the high cost of higher education. Jerry Carroll, in the article “Is College Still Worth the Expense,” explains that cost notwithstanding, a college degree is still a valuable asset. He notes that with the sharp rise in tuition costs, the increasing trend of hiring college grads for entry-level jobs, and the decrease in real-dollar salaries for workers with college educations, many young people are questioning the advisability of taking on huge debts going to college without the guarantee of good jobs when they graduate. Carroll notes, however, that college grads hired at the lowest levels advance rapidly and that it is most important to get into a company early in order to begin advancing. He concludes by quoting a former Harvard professor who said that education was expensive, but ignorance was even more expensive. Like Mr. Carroll, I believe a college education is still a valuable asset because a degree is still the best way to ensure economic stability for both the short and long terms. Comment by Author: Hook. Attention grabber Comment by Author: Author’s Thesis or author main idea, Citing article, Introductory Phrase Comment by Author: Summary of the article Comment by Author: My own thesis Statement and Telling why you either agree or disagree with the author. Do not write the three reasons in here.

College graduates today cannot always expect to get great jobs right out of college, but their educations are still valuable because employers know college graduates know how to listen, follow directions, and learn. Carroll says that even though a graduate secures only a low-level position, the chance for advancement is good. This is because people who have gone to college have better learning skills, which they developed in the classroom. A college grad has had to attend classes regularly, do a variety of types of projects and research papers, keep up with homework, pass tests, and perform many other tasks that less-educated people never had to. These skills may not be those that a company pays the graduate for, but the employer who knows a college-educated employee will hear the instructions once and do the job without having to ask a dozen times for further explanation will give that employee more and more responsibility. That employee will advance. For example, my brother got a temporary job out of college doing maintenance on new homes. He was a hard worker and got his job done. Soon he was a supervisor of maintenance, and not long after that, he was promoted to the quality control department as a supervisor. He took a low-level job but advanced because he was the one who had the learning skills acquired in college. Unquestionably, the potential for rapid advancement is a reason to get a college education. Comment by Author: Topic sentence and 1st reason Comment by Author: 1st body. Comment by Author: Concluding sentences

College is also still worth it because as the numbers of graduates are increasing, the numbers of jobs left for those with only high school diplomas are decreasing. Jobs in manufacturing that didn’t require a degree are no longer available, according to Carroll. Those jobs are now done by machines. If college graduates are getting the low-level jobs now, what does a person with only a high school diploma do? Many people say a high school diploma is good enough because a person can start his own business. However, by many estimates, eighty-five percent of small businesses started in the U.S. fail after the first year. There is no guarantee of success. I’ve known several friends who went to work straight out of high school and started their own businesses. One is still working for himself, struggling every year to meet his expenses. Another held on for five years before having to fold his business, and another lasted less than two years on his own. Both of these men had to enter the job field already dominated by college graduates and are both having difficulties making the best of their situations. Both have gone back to school, but they must still pay the bills with the jobs they have. A high school diploma is simply not enough in this economic environment. Comment by Author: Topic Sentence and 2nd reason Comment by Author: 2nd body Comment by Author: Concluding sentences

Even for college graduates, the job market isn’t great, but grads will still have more options in the long run, so their degrees are valuable. How many workers with only a high school diploma have the option of moving to another location to seek better jobs? A grad may not be able to find a job in New York, but there is always Philadelphia or Seattle or another big city. In addition, grads need to be realistic about job availabilities and get into the workforce quickly. “As long as you’re on the sideline, you’re not a player,” said Patrick Scheetz, a researcher in the field of college employment quoted in the article. He means that even though a person holds a degree, if that college grad doesn’t make a move to get employed early, it may be too late. Employers want to see a track record, so college grads need to take their chances and take whatever jobs they are offered, instead of waiting around for the perfect one to come along. Times may be tough economically, but they will be tougher without a degree. The example from the article of Kim Wise is a good illustration. She missed two years of work because of an injury. When she went back, she found she was under qualified for the job she used to hold. She wasn’t able to get a job in her former field without having a college education. The message is clear: get the degree. It may not be the gold mine the graduate hopes it will be at first, but it will be insurance against a future of rising requirements and shrinking job availability. With a good employment record and a degree, a college-educated person has the chance to try another location, while most high school graduates do not. Comment by Author: Topic Sentence and 3rd reasoning Comment by Author: 3rd Body Comment by Author: Concluding sentences

To conclude, Carroll paints a pretty grim picture of employment opportunities for college grads, but the picture for non-graduates is grimmer still. College degrees are still worth it because they offer the chance for quick advancement, even from a low starting position, they place those who have them in front of diploma holders for the few jobs available these days, and they give the degree holders options like mobility. There is no way a degree is not valuable, and students should make that June decision and go to school. They really cannot afford not to. Comment by Author: Conclusion paragraph

Work Cited

Carroll, Jerry. “Is College Still Worth the Expense?” Growing Ideas: A Reader for Writers. Ed. Michael Christopherson. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001.65-67. Print