by Abigail Anderson, former admissions officer at Reed College
There is a commonly shared belief in the United States that going to college will improve a student’s quality of life upon graduation—that the graduate will certainly earn more money, have an increased quality of life, and perhaps even live ‘better’ than their parents or grandparents before them. And this belief honestly makes sense, given so much of the history and mission of higher education in this country! However, while for many college attendance is a stop on the path to achieving the American Dream, certain colleges and universities do a much better job than others at improving life (or social mobility, as academics would call it) for their students.
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