Your child feels a lot of pressure to “get into a good college.” Starting in 8th grade—or even earlier, he’s had the lie pounded into his head: “If you don’t get into a good college, you won’t be able to get a good job when you graduate.”
This lie can cause unnecessary anxiety for your kid and for your family. It can cause feelings of deep shame when a kid doesn’t get into his or her “dream school.” And, worst of all, it can lead students to drastically underestimate themselves and their future potential.
Let’s nip this lie in the bud, right now.
Take a look at where the current top 10 Fortune 500 CEOs went to college.
The current top 10 Fortune 500 CEOs went to college at:
University of Arkansas
(C. Douglas McMillan, CEO, Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)
Texas A&M University—College Station (TX)
(Darron W. Woods, CEO and chairman, Exxon Mobil Corp.)
University of Nebraska—Lincoln (NE)
(Warren Buffet, CEO and chairman, Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.)
Auburn University (AL)
(Tim Cook, chairman and CEO, Apple, Inc.)
Illinois State University (IL)
(David S. Wichmann, CEO and chairman, UnitedHealth Group)
University of Minnesota Twin Cities (MN)
(John H. Hammergren, CEO, president, and chairman, McKesson Corp.)
University of Pittsburg (PA)
(Larry J. Merlo, CEO and president, CVS Health Corp.)
Princeton University (NJ)
(Jeffrey P. Bezos, chairman, president, and CEO, Amazon.com)
University of Central Oklahoma (OK)
(Randall L. Stephenson, CEO, chairman, and president, AT&T Inc.)
Kettering University (MI)
(Mary T. Barra, CEO and chairman, General Motors Co.)
Success in life has more to do with how you develop yourself than where you go to college.
Before you chain your daughter to $1000 per month student loan payments in the name of “giving her a happier life,” take a look at the eye-opening research-backed articles I’ve written here:
Expensive Education Leads to a Happier Life. True or False? The Answer Might Surprise You.
9 Reasons to Talk Your Child OUT of Applying to the Ivy League
You just might feel inspired, excited, and relieved that a lower-ranked, less expensive college can give your kid just what he or she needs to do great things later.
Though a surprising number of top CEOs went to state universities, I usually advise students to steer clear of state schools.
Honors programs at state universities can be great, but take a look at this article I’ve written on why that local state university may not be your bargain option. (Chapters 13 and 14 of my book go into detail on which colleges may end up being amazing bargain options for your kid.)
Remember, picking the right colleges to apply to is only a small part of the picture when it comes to getting your kid through college debt-free.
For clear, step-by-step help with the whole process from beginning to end, get your copy of my book:
Important—> It’s a reference book, so nobody reads the whole thing cover to cover. Pick out what you need to read in it using the fast-paced, 10-minute video instructions here.
You can see hundreds of reviews of this book on Amazon by going to:
Read just one chapter of LAUNCH every 1–3 months while your child’s in middle school and high school, and you’ll know every viable strategy for debt-free college at exactly the right time to implement it.
And if your child’s already well past middle school? That’s OK; you can run to catch up. But the process of getting your kids through college debt-free goes more smoothly the earlier you start—especially if you’re not planning to save up any money to pay for college.
Let's you and I walk together toward the goal of debt-free college for your kids.
We can accomplish this no matter your current income level—even if your kids never get a single scholarship.
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Do you have very specific questions for me about debt-free college and career for your kids?
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Who is Jeannie Burlowski?
Jeannie is a full-time academic strategist, podcast host, and sought-after speaker for students ages 12–26, their parents, and the professionals who serve them. Her writing, speaking, and podcasting help parents set their kids up to graduate college debt-free, ready to jump directly into careers they excel at and love. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Huffington Post, USA Today, Parents Magazine, and US News & World Report, as well as on CBS News.
Jeannie also helps students apply to law, medical, business, and grad school at her website GetIntoMedSchool.com. You can follow her on Bluesky @jburlowski.bsky.social.
No part of this article was written using AI.