http://www.aol.com/article/2015/05/18/student-turns-down-every-ivy-league-school-for-university-of-ala/21184666/
The University of Alabama is no Harvard or Princeton, that's for sure. Located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the university is home to the legendary Alabama Crimson Tide football team, but the school isn't specifically known to be as academically rigorous as, say, an Ivy League. Ronald Nelson begs to differ. Mr. Nelson, a member of the class of 2015, has a 4.58 GPA, enjoys playing his saxophone, and loves football; not to mention he also was also accepted into every single Ivy League school in the nation. Nelson, surprised and elated from his acceptances, learned that he wouldn't be able to pay for his education and dreams of being a doctor at any of the Ivy League schools. Each school failed to offer him enough money to even go for his first year. So, instead of submitting himself as being a victim of student loan debt, Nelson chose the University of Alabama, who offered him a full ride. Although it's an unlikely choice, one thing is for sure: Mr. Nelson will be able to enjoy football and become a doctor, all for the price of nothing.
This relates to APUSH because our nation has a very difficult system when it comes to debt, which has forced students to give up their dream schools. Nelson is just another child who can't go to a more prestigious school due to money. Education, in all respects, should be free, rather than a luxury. Public schools began with people, like the colonists, and has continued to help the less fortunate; however, private universities such as the Ivy Leagues, don't make the lower classes' dreams come true. So, the University of Alabama has claimed possibly a potentially influential doctor, and who knows, maybe good, ole' T-town will be home to many more Ivy- League-accepted children.
Roll tide!
Elizabeth Muscari, period 6th
The nations issue is that you need a ton of money to become successful in order to make money. Kids are going after the expensive schools looking to become doctors, but the kids who are going there already have a large amount of money, leaving the rest of the kids a smaller opportunity to work hard and rise up financially because they are competing for the same jobs as the kids who got to go to the Ivy league. Despite this, I think Nelson made a smart decision that will reward him later in life.
ReplyDeleteIt's been shown that going to an Ivy League and paying much more money isn't all that worth it. I do wish he could have gone to the school he really wanted and would best exceed at, but this University really wanted him and I hope he will be very happy. Also, I agree that school systems, especially when it comes to this, have been so corrupted that it all comes down to money.
ReplyDeleteMany times, as long as you get a degree, the school you went to doesn't even matter. The problem about making all schools free though, is that it would make a significant raise in taxes and more people would be dependent on government help, which contradicts our economics system. So while the idea of free school is nice, it would not, in reality, be the shimmering luxury we think it is. Still, lowering prices would be great.
ReplyDeleteThere are many different paths to get to the same result and I think that this very smart young man will end up where he is supposed to be. I wish that colleges weren't so expensive, but in fact they are and I'm glad that he won't be drowning in debt later in life.
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