<p>Everyone in this forum is wrong in my opinion concerning the beliefs of college and $. To be honest, the one that will make the most money is the one that realizes that working for someone else with a 4-year degree or an MBA is not the path of the rich. Working for someone else in general is not pro-rich. Having someone else have COMPLETE control over your income is not a good thing...unless the one controling it is God (a deity whom promotes prosperity). College is something society uses as a filtering system. Most wealthy people are entrepreneurs, whom own their own companies/businesses, and know that College in no way indicates financial status. By putting so much focus on "getting a good job" which in reality...from my point of view...is a ****ty entry level position with a salary cap and long hours having someone boss you around...is setting yourself up for the cruel world of corporate slavery. BE A LEADER. Found a company, work for what you're really worth rather than praying for 65k a year for your first job. College in my opinion isn't completely useless...but I do feel that it's unecessary for monetary success in most cases. Why set yourself up to be an account with a maximum salary cap of like 300k into the game when you could be MUCH wealthier now (if you even consider 300k 10 years from now to be wealthy...). Dolly lenz (a prominent real estate associate broker) was an accountant before working with Prudential Douglas Elliman (nations leading luxury real estate brokerage). She wasn't making as much as she wanted so she did several cash flow projects on the side (the process of buying a property and renting it out as a higher price than your mortgage payments to create residual income). After she found that she was doing so well...she went off to get licensed in real estate (I am also licensed, it is a VERY easy process, I did it over the summer.) last year she made approximately 6.9 million dollars. From her real estate license...something that you don't have to go to college to get. I HAVE ONE. I COULD DO WHAT SHE DID AND I DO NOT HAVE MY COLLEGE DEGREE YET. Don't stifle your creativity and your income possibilities by following whatever message has been programmed into your heads from parents or peers. DO NOT LISTEN...IT'S LIKE POISON. "go to school, get straight A's, be an investment banker, and you'll be rich" wrong answer. Some investment bankers do eventually make "a lot" of money...even millions...but it ONLY happens if their bosses decide to make them rich. Use the gifts that God has given you and make a wonderful life for yourself. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. comment? questions? let me know...</p>
<p>see how well that works when the housing market isn't skyrocketing</p>
<p>Nobody is going to get rich working for someone else.Check the forbes 400 billionaire list.</p>
<p>^ Define rich. I'm guessing Lawyers aren't rich since they work for a firm or a client? Consultants aren't rich either, nor doctors? I know these people who make hundreds of thousands in their late 20s and early 30s. Later on they make even more by investing well. </p>
<p>The thing is, college can HELP people get to lawyers, consultants, doctors, etc. It can educate you and provide you a better CHANCE to get a good career and earn hundreds of thousands or even millions. </p>
<p>Is there an institution that helps people get to the Forbes 400 Billionaire list? Shall we all study and practice to become Arabian oil owners? </p>
<p>The fact is, special anecdotes and life stories are useless in the op's proposed argument. If you build your life around the anomalies, you might as well just spend $40,000 a year on lottery tickets because I bet people who have no education and win million dollar lotteries are richer than the avg Ivy League grad.</p>
<p>TheTruth is 99.9% right. It's just that it really isn't that easy to become a millionare entrepreneur. The fact is that being a successful entrepreneur is the road less traveled, and it will stay that way for the forseeable future. </p>
<p>So people take the road more traveled, the stable job, the steady paycheck. It's just that the Investment Bankers get a big steady paycheck.</p>
<p>Read "The Millionaire Next Door". Just because you earn millions doesn't mean you are a millionaire. Millionaires have millions.</p>
<p>don't be afraid of paragraphs. they can be your friends.</p>
<p>One other point that needs to be raised is whether the purpose of college is to increase the probability of getting rich. I'd prefer to think that college is a key step in achieving a fulfilling career that provides some level of financial comfort but also intellectual and emotional rewards. Teaching (at any level), for example, won't make anyone rich but is a great career choice for those who enjoy it.</p>
<p>I see a lot of comments in the forum that compare careers solely from an expected income standpoint - that's perhaps the worst reason to choose a career (particularly when the long-term spoils tend to go to a small percentage of those who choose the career).</p>
<p>Roger, why dignify this cr*****! Is college really for money for any but a small fraction?</p>
<p>Well, I think that if you ask high school seniors you'd find that money is, in fact, a big issue in choosing majors - particularly at the top schools. Lots of pre-law, pre-med, and even engineering majors may have less love of the profession than the chance for a stable economic future and comfortable income. That doesn't include all those majoring in econ or business with the objective of getting into investment banking or consulting.</p>
<p>"Rich" is relative, of course - a $300K salary may mean "rich" to some, but next to nothing to others. I'd say most of the financially-driven students aren't aiming for major wealth as much as a nice standard of living. As the OP points out, real wealth usually comes from entrepreneurship, though in industries like business, entertainment, and sports a tiny, tiny number of individuals do achieve major wealth.</p>
<p>The point though is going to top schools sets you up to do VERY well in the long run. And these schools get you set up for top grad schools. The average income 10 years out post-MBA from the top 10 schools is over 500K. Hardly chump change.</p>
<p>In regard to the post by "Accepted Already". Most Lawyers, Doctors, and Consultants (unless they own a private and VERY successful practice), are NOT monetarily wealthy. But more importantly, they don't have control over their own schedules, or THEIR INCOME. How many doctors do you know with a net worth over 10MM... 1 out of every 10,000 if you're lucky. Maybe there are some with a net worth of 1MM after some time...but i'm talking about SERIOUS wealth. Forbes 400 wealth...9/10+ figure wealth. For the comment you made "It can educate you and provide you a better CHANCE to get a good career and earn hundreds of thousands or even millions."...because the fact you said EVEN millions...the way it was phrased that is...it's an indication of your lack of faith that MANY doctors, lawyers etc... will make millions. "Even millions" sounds like "not very likely but maybe someone will", "well possibly", "maybe 1 out of every 500,000 in that profession". And being that they have to invest well in order to make that wealth, in ADDITION to slaving away at work, further PROVES my point that their career alone is not cutting it financially. Being a doctor all day everyday and not investing won't make you millions...creating a multimillion dollar online community from your mom's living room will...see the difference? Plus, the 2nd route is MUCH quicker. And your comment about college giving you a better chance shows lack of belief in yourself. NOT TO ATTACK YOU PERSONALLY, BECAUSE I JUST LIKE HAVING INTELLECTUAL CONVERSATIONS CONCERNING MY OPINIONS AND OTHERS ON WORLDLY SITUATIONS TODAY. You don't believe that you could make it in this world without a degree? Without a degree, would you absolutely be homeless? Without some expensive piece of paper (my University is about 36k a year) will you be doomed to work at mc donalds? NO, you will ONLY be there if you choose to be. It's your choice, it's always been your choice. Life is what you make of it and you can make it into anything you'd like. The only people that are in those situations have chosen to be and do not wish to advance financially. If you're going to let a piece of paper make or break you, then I feel that you've been poisoned by society like many others. I used to have my life planned out in the typical sense "yea i'm going to go to this amazing University, get a 4.0, go into an Investment banking analyst program, go and get my MBA at Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth or some other top tier institution, and then go and be an associate I-banker at a bulge bracket I-banking firm...then VP...then managing director...then quit and open my own boutique I-banking firm specializing in mergers and acquisitions. But that'd only happen after about 10 years of terrible work (people bossing me around), long hours, lack of sleep, and having no control over my financial situation. Sure a doctor can invest some of his 200k a year to eventually become somewhat wealthy...but why would u want someone telling you how much you HAVE to live off of? Have you ever heard of that milliondollarhomepage guy? Made over a million dollars in less than a year from his site, MUCH better off financially than 95% of all lawyers, doctors etc. I'm not trying to make you all change, because I cannot, but I am voicing an opinion that I feel is 100% correct. If you actually believe that you'll be nothing without a college degree then you will be...if you believe that you can "make it" in this world financially regardless of whatever certifications you may have...then you will be. Most people don't get rich because they don't even aim for it. Most people come into the world believing that it's out of reach and they become comfortable with whatever level of income their parents have. I believe everyone should be rich and have an abundance of everything...it's our right.</p>
<p>500K/year is chump change...in my opinion. Most executives that pay employees 500k a year (I-banking firms) make it sound nice because their asses are making MUCH MUCH more. I mean...if you feel that you're worth only $500,000/year (a lower amount than some cars, jewelry, and a plethora of homes) that is absolutely fine...</p>
<p>This is insane. Top executives at public companies may only make 500K a year. Certainly not a bad living factoring stock options and the like. It's highly unlikely that many will achieve 10 million or whatever you're getting at.</p>
<p>Maybe a 500k base salary...but millions in stock options and bonuses. The CEO of Goldman Sachs made like what...20MM last year? Are you kidding me guy?</p>
<p>Top exectuives of Yahoo, Google, Microsodt, Dell, etc...all MULTI MULTI MILLIONAIRES OR BILLIONAIRES...</p>
<p>I can tell you right now, my dad as the CEO of a publicly traded company doesnt make close to 20 million dollars....</p>
<p>I'm interning at an ibank right now (and yes it's almost 8PM and I'n not close to leaving). I graduated from high school in June. The only people here making $500k are considerably < a decade older than me.</p>
<p>500k for me is far away from rich...I'm not that interested in beeing rich (of course i wouldn't mind ).. but one thing is for sure the most important thing is talent ...Some people thing that getting a degree from stern will lead them to the gold mine..HELL no if you aint got the talent you be just another one in the midlle of the crowd ...</p>
<p>Having fun yet? Wouldn't you rather be at home in your comfy bed...located inside your 50,000 square foot PALACE in Greenwich Connecticut? ...almost like the one the most successful entrepreneurs have :-) (no offense...I hope that if you wish to quit....u eventually do and go off to find/do something MUCH better)</p>