Brand name university not always surest path to success in business world

By Nihal Krishan

As the year draws to a close and students prepare for exams and graduation, one question resonates in the halls – ‘Where are you going to college?’ The average Facebook status reads “_______ University 2014!!!” and parents talk about where their son or daughter is headed for the next four years.

Students view their college choice as the most important decision they will ever make. People seem to view college as an indicator of future success and happiness. However, the college you graduate from is not the yardstick to measure how successful you will be in life.

“One tragic misconception is that you have to go to a prestigious, big-name academic institution to really get ahead,” wrote Thomas Sowell of the New York Post.

CEOs of the Fortune 50 (The top 50 US public corporations ranked by gross revenue) are often viewed as the most successful people in society. The colleges that the Fortune 50 CEOs attended are a perfect example of how the college one attends is not a determinant of success.

Time Magazine did a feature on the colleges that Fortune 50 CEOs attend,and the results showed that over 70 percent of the CEOs did not attend highly-ranked brand name colleges. Most of them attended their local state university with the University of Texas system topping the list with three CEOs attending it.

In 2004, there were 99 new CEOs named at Fortune 1,000 companies and only one of the 99 had an undergraduate degree from an Ivy League school. A study by the Wharton school at University of Pennsylvania indicates that the degrees of Fortune 100 CEOs from an Ivy League school has decreased from 14 percent in 1980 to 10 percent in 2001. On the other hand, the percentage of CEOs with undergraduate degrees from public colleges and universities shot up from 32 percent in 1980 to 48 percent in 2001.

Instead of focusing on which college they attend, students should focus on finding something that they are passionate about and genuinely interested in. The goal that students strive for – this passion and engagement in their work – is what will determine their success ultimately.

People who are dedicated, hard-working and passionate about their job will go far in life no matter where they attend college. So take an offbeat course in college, try a new job or internship, explore the world and delve in things that interest and excite you. Discover your passion and pursue it-success will surely be yours.