The college landscape has historically focused on prestige. Rankings, brand names, acceptance rates, reputation.
But the workforce landscape is increasingly focused on skills, not degrees.
Those two things don't always align.
And more and more, prestige decisions are being shaped by 30-second campus reels on Tik Tok that show perfect dorm tours, game day hype, aesthetic libraries, acceptance videos set to music, and climbing walls.
It’s branding, and it’s powerful.
I talk to kids every week who are laser-focused on brand-name colleges.
But when I ask about on-campus support, community and clubs, belonging, career advising, internships, I often get blank stares. Or, “I don’t know.”
The future of work is shifting, automation is accelerating.
Degrees still matter, but, skills, especially transferable skills like communication, problem-solving, and adaptability, are starting to matter a lot more.
The students who will thrive aren’t necessarily the ones with the most impressive transcript, they’re the ones who can adapt, the ones who’ve had internships, part-time jobs, leadership roles, real feedback, and real responsibility.
We need to shift the conversation from “Where are you going to college?” to “What can you actually do?”
Real over reels.
But the workforce landscape is increasingly focused on skills, not degrees.
Those two things don't always align.
And more and more, prestige decisions are being shaped by 30-second campus reels on Tik Tok that show perfect dorm tours, game day hype, aesthetic libraries, acceptance videos set to music, and climbing walls.
It’s branding, and it’s powerful.
I talk to kids every week who are laser-focused on brand-name colleges.
But when I ask about on-campus support, community and clubs, belonging, career advising, internships, I often get blank stares. Or, “I don’t know.”
The future of work is shifting, automation is accelerating.
Degrees still matter, but, skills, especially transferable skills like communication, problem-solving, and adaptability, are starting to matter a lot more.
The students who will thrive aren’t necessarily the ones with the most impressive transcript, they’re the ones who can adapt, the ones who’ve had internships, part-time jobs, leadership roles, real feedback, and real responsibility.
We need to shift the conversation from “Where are you going to college?” to “What can you actually do?”
Real over reels.
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