Question

In a speech to high school students, a business owner makes the following statement: “Nowadays a high school diploma alone will get you nowhere in life”.
Write a short argument either for or against this statement. Be sure to include a clear claim and to provide and respond to at least one counterclaim. Use specific details from your own experiences and observations to develop your argument.

Answer 1

We may agree that, in an ever-changing world, information is of capital importance. We may also agree that there is much more to learn nowadays than there ever was in history. We've been accumulating knowledge throughout the centuries and, in order to not reinvent the wheel constantly, such knowledge must be passed along from generation to generation.

However, as important as a high school diploma is for those who wish to attend a good university, we cannot say it's so vital as to determine the whole of mankind's success. Some of the most famous people we know of quit high school while in their teens to pursue their dreams. Dreams that high school might have delayed or even hindered altogether, had they decided to stay. People such as Billy Joel, Robert De Niro, Jay-Z, or even Carl Lindner (whose estimated net worth is $1.7 billion) are drop-outs who have achieved more than the majority of the population ever will, even with a post-graduate degree in hands.

I believe in formal education and in its importance for the world to walk toward advancements in every area. But it is a cruel generalization to say there is only one path to get there, one right path for billions of different people. Instead of motivating, such an idea may actually be a sad one to those individuals who are able to see a unique path (maybe one not including a diploma) for themselves.