Episode 25: "College?!...How Sway?" - A Conversation About College, Prestige, and Future Employment

Summary: Today, we revisit our conversation about higher education by addressing a listener’s question about the economic value and affordability of a college degree for middle-class families. We begin the conversation by discussing whether institutional prestige matters for getting a job and earnings (25:37), what employers are truly looking for in potential employees (28:00), and the particular fields where school name matters (29:36). We then discuss lifetime earnings by degree type (32:06) and the fields in which advanced degrees may or may not pay off  (34:19). Next, we have a conversation about the relationship between undergraduate institution and graduate school acceptance (40:11), the difference between pursuing a master’s degree versus a PhD (43:14), and what graduate schools look for in students (47:25). We then discuss whether or not your major matters for securing a job or attending graduate school (58:35). We close the conversation by discussing how to attend graduate school without going into debt (1:03:50) and strategies that middle class families can use to make college more affordable for their children (1:12:40).   Other Topics Include: 00:30 - Catch up with Ty and Daphne 07:03 - BhD “Oh Lawd” News Segment 20:30 - Introduction of Segment   50:15 - How Daphne Recovered from a 1.57 GPA 1:01:30 - College major and the gender pay gap 1:09:46 - The Script for Applying to PhD Programs   Resources: “Incomes Aren’t the Only Thing Not Keeping Pace with Rising Tuition. Neither are Scholarships.”-https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/09/16/incomes-arent-the-only-thing-not-keeping-pace-with-rising-tuition-neither-are-scholarships/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.e9946443ce47 “The College Payoff: Education, Occupations, and Lifetime Earnings”- https://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2011/collegepayoff.pdf “Prestige vs. Major” - https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/12/10/study-examines-impact-major-vs-impact-college-prestige-womens-earnings “It Doesn’t Matter Where You Go to College.” - http://time.com/54342/it-doesnt-matter-where-you-go-to-college/ “4 Graduate School Myths Debunked” - https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/articles/2012/04/13/4-graduate-school-myths-debunked “These 10 “Expensive” Colleges Have Free Tuition or Free-Ride Scholarships for Middle-Class Families” - https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/affordability-college-cost/these-10-expensive-colleges-have-free-tuition-or-full-ride-scholarships-for-middle-class-families/