Overachievers, fret not. And underachievers: don’t worry, there’s still hope. Okay, so maybe you didn’t gain admission to Harvard–but luckily, that doesn’t matter as much as you might think. Whether your ambition is to become CEO of a top company, an engineer, an entrepreneur, an actor, a poet, or even the President, two things matter more than your alma mater: talent and drive. Today we’ll take a look at some of the nation’s top CEOs who found success without needing (or wanting) to go to a “prestigious” college. Then we’ll turn to the story of a young man who turned down offers of admission from each and every Ivy League college: read on to find out why!
To begin with, I recommend two pieces of reading related to this topic: first, the Wall Street Journal article by Carol Hymowitz called “‘Any College Will Do,'” which notes that “Most CEOs of the biggest corporations didn’t attend Ivy League or other highly selective colleges. They went to state universities, big and small, or to less-known private colleges.” And second, the myth-busting book by New York Times writer Frank Bruni called Where You’ll Go Is Not Who You’ll Be. Bruni’s book, subtitled “An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania,” is precisely that: an antidote to misguided students’ and parents’ worries and fears.
Where the Nation’s Top CEOs Went to College
You might be surprised to learn where the nation’s top CEOs got their undergraduate degrees. CEOs with degrees from state schools and private colleges are the rule–not the exception. Take a look at the alma maters of these 10 CEOs:
- Doug McMillon (Wal-Mart Stores) — University of Arkansas (BS), University of Tulsa (MBA)
- Rex Tillerson (Exxon Mobil) — University of Texas at Austin (BS)
- John S. Watson (Chevron) — University of California, Davis (BA), University of Chicago (MBA)
- Warren E. Buffett (Berkshire Hathaway) — University of Nebraska (BS), Columbia University (MS)
- Tim Cook (Apple) — Auburn University (BS), Duke University (MBA)
- Greg C. Garland (Phillips 66) — Texas A&M University (BS)
- Mary Barra (General Motors) — General Motors Institute/Kettering University (BS), Stanford University (MBA)
- Mark Fields (Ford Motor) — Rutgers University (BA), Harvard University (MBA)
- Jeff Immelt (General Electric) — Dartmouth College (BA), Harvard University (MBA)
- Joe Gorder (Valero Energy) — University of Missouri-St. Louis (BA), Our Lady of the Lake University (MBA)
Student Turns Down All 8 Ivy League Colleges
I could write dozens of articles profiling people in all sorts of fields–medicine, engineering, literature, sports, the arts–who didn’t go to Ivy League schools. Instead, I’ll turn to the story of Ronald Nelson, a high school senior who turned down all eight Ivy League schools–as well as other prestigious schools such as Johns Hopkins and Stanford–to accept a full ride scholarship at the University of Alabama.
Business Insider reports: “After some thought and consideration of all the schools’ offers, Nelson decided it wouldn’t be worth the financial strain to use this money on his undergraduate education. He plans on going to medical school after college, and knows he’ll be faced with more tuition costs.”
Smart kid.
It’s important to note that even if you get into and can afford an Ivy League school, others may be a better fit for your personality and goals.
As countless American success stories illustrate, there’s never one established path. Successful people create paths–not follow them.
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Additional Resources: “Winning College Scholarships for High Schoolers” Video Course