You can’t erase the past

The debate on the importance of your alma mater is a contentious one. I am in the camp that the college you attended matters. Whatever you did or did not do in your youth to get into your university you can’t change. It’s there forever. The experiences you had in those important, formative years of youth are eternally edged into your psyche.

However, there are a significant number of individuals who believe that the college you attended is not that important. I imagine this argument is made in the name of fairness. Attending a prestigious college is often associated with a more privileged upbringing, which some may view as elitist. It’s a direct contradiction to the Declaration of Independence, which states that all men are created equal. However, private institutions, unlike public schools, are not affiliated with the US government. They are entirely separate entities.

At the end of the day, I don’t think there’s necessarily a correct answer to this debate. The important thing to consider is should academia strive to be fair in every sense of the word, or should it succumb to the fact that perhaps absolute fairness is, in reality, just too idealistic of a concept?