I just finished reading Frank Buni’s book “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be.” The book  explores the value of an undergraduate degree from an Ivy League school versus state or private schools that have solid reputations but are much less expensive. I was interested in his proposition and discussion because I have degrees from both a flagship state institution, the University of Tennessee, and an Ivy League school, Carnegie Mellow University. Furthermore, I have been in higher education as a professor for over thirty three years so I have some knowledge and experiences relevant to the book and I paid for my daughters’ undergraduate degrees.

If you or someone you know is deciding on where to go to college, please read this book.  Bruni quotes some compelling statistics and talks about student experiences that suggest an Ivy League education at the undergraduate level is not worth the cost. He has done his homework well enough to warrant serious consideration of  his position,   especially in light of the fact that if trends continue, an Ivy League undergraduate education that is now $63,000 a year, will cost over $500,000 eighteen years from now!

The horror stories of parents who racked up excessive student loan debt so that their children could go to elite schools are painful to hear and even more painful to experience. The issue is currently on the agenda of senators and presidential candidates, but despite the student loan discussion, reform, if it happens, is years away. In the interim, it is up to individual families to determine the costs versus  benefits of an Ivy – Frank Bruni’s book makes a great contribution to the discussion.