Many students chose to attend Syracuse University because it was, and still is, their dream school. Whether it was for the prestige of certain academic opportunities or the desire to cheer on well-renowned sports teams in the Carrier Dome, thousands of your peers were inspired to become part of the Orange.

But for others, this was not the case. SU was a fall-back school, a worthy campus to turn to when a preferred contender ranked higher on U.S. News and World Report’s best colleges list denied an application for admission.

In today’s extremely competitive world of higher education, much importance and emphasis is placed upon from where one obtains a degree. It seems where you go to school will have a profound effect on your chances of getting a well-respected, well-paying job in the field you desire.

With this mentality, students striving for schools ranked higher than SU may have felt their ideal careers become suddenly out of reach, or at least more difficult to obtain.

But this supposed equation of where you attend college equaling future success begs the question: Is it the institution that decides your future, or is it just you?

Mounting evidence suggesting that “the most significant thing about college is not where you go, but what you do once you get there,” according to a March 13 Time.com article.

Ken Bain, a historian and educator, is the author of “What The Best College Students Do.” In his book, discussed in the article, Bain explores the importance of becoming “deep learners, who leave college with a real, rich education” no matter what institution you attend.

Deep learning is not about the school or the professor, it is about the student creating a learning experience where passions are ambitiously pursued to create one’s own success. In his book, Bain explains that deep learning involves becoming comfortable with sharing ideas, even if they are sometimes met with failure, and forming personal connections with your studies.

Though these concepts seem logical for determined, inspired individuals, compelling questions still persist: Will future employers and graduate programs consider the pursuit of passions more important than which alma mater an applicant hails from?

If rankings matter less than personal ambitions, why is so much emphasis placed on college rankings? And why does it matter when they rise and fall? This has been a focus of much concern here at SU in recent years, as the university’s ranking has fluctuated on the U.S. News and World Report’s list.

A comprehensive breakdown featuring decades worth of studies on the importance of rankings versus the individual student was produced by The Atlantic last May. It presented that the more elite the institution, the higher the alumnus’ paycheck.

It is evident that a certain level of career prestige is gained by those who attend higher-ranked schools, as networking opportunities are often specific to an institution, and many of today’s most profitable and influential companies recruit from elite schools.

Though this does hold true, an institution alone cannot guarantee desired future success. Ultimately, it is up to you, the student, to make the most of any college opportunities you have the ability to take.

SU should promote this concept aggressively as tours continue throughout this semester and acceptance letters are issued to hopeful students.

As students, we must realize our future is far from being decided when we first step foot onto a college campus. By being active, passionate and becoming leaders here at SU, we can work to begin ensuring lifelong successes. Sure, getting into your dream school may seem like the feat of a lifetime, but reaching your dreams goes beyond the acceptance letter.

Rachael Barillari is the editorial editor and a junior political science and Middle Eastern studies major. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at rebarill@syr.edu and followed on Twitter at @R_Barillari.

Published on March 18, 2013 at 1:59 am