Tis the season. Erstwhile high
school seniors are now working on their applications to enter college next
fall. This has been an increasingly popular fall pastime for young people, as
I’ve noted before.
This fall 2.9 million freshmen are starting their college journeys. The
National Center for Educational Statistics expects 19.9 million students to
attend the 4,627 American colleges and universities this year. That represents
a whole lot of essays written in the past 4+ years.
The percentage of US adults that
have at least a baccalaureate degree has never been higher at 34.2% in 2017
(latest year available). Interestingly, this share of adults who have attained at
least a B.A. degree is virtually identical with the share of US adults who
graduated from high school 67 years ago. What a difference a few generations
make.
In the spirit of seniors I interact
with at Berkeley High School, I’ve decided to write now another college application
essay, to my hypothetical first-choice college, “All About University" (All About U). It’s been 56
years since my last essay. I’ll give it one more try with great feeling. Hopefully
by writing this essay I can empathize with this year’s seniors, as well as
summarize “my story” in a measly 650 words, which is the word limit for an
essay submitted as part of the Common Application. The Common App website
states, “Every applicant has a unique story. The essay helps bring that story
to life.”
There is no lack of online or
offline assistance available for those of us who face writing this essay. Over
the years, it has become a very large cottage industry. When I Googled “How to
write a college application essay” I received 326 million responses in 0.48
seconds, including one that cited the Modern Language Association’s
recommendation that the essay be written in double-spaced 12-point Times New Roman. I’m neglecting these
two formatting suggestions at my own peril. So here’s my unique story; I’m sticking
to it.
My Essay. Plato’s
Socratic paradox states, "The only
thing I know is that I know nothing.” My educational life, from
kindergartening through garnering a Ph.D., has been devoted to reducing the
“know nothing” portion of this paradox. This essay reflects my interest in further
diminishing my know nothingness via added education at All About U.
I characterize my formal education
beginning, with a tip of my hat to Plato, as knowing nothing about virtually
everything and ending up knowing virtually everything about next to nothing (in
this case, my dissertation topic). This essay is the story of what I’ve learned and gained insight about. The greater domain of knowledge
remaining for me to acquire remains. Attending All About U will offer succor in
my quest.
My life has been filled with luck
and good fortune because I’ve done the right kind of work that I was
passionate about and because of perpetual support of family and friends. Although
I wasn’t an all-star academic student throughout most of my K-12 and college
career, my optimista nature, social competence, talent, inquisitiveness and
ability to envision pathways to achievement were rewarded. A bit of luck was
involved in selecting a then-obscure industry – electric utilities – as the
focus of my dissertation research. I became one of a small number of energy experts
at a fortuitous moment before the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo dramatically changed the
US’s economic and energy perspective. Energy was no longer a background topic,
it was very front and center as
drivers waited for hours to fill their tuna boat-sized cars with gasoline. That
crisis suddenly amplified my worth and helped guide my professional career in
energy efficiency studies for decades to come.
After retiring from energy
consulting in Berkeley, I found another career passion. I decided to “pay it
forward” and volunteer my time assisting students at Berkeley High School.
Specifically, 12 years ago I became involved with tutoring students who
enrolled in two of the school’s college-level economics classes. I’ve helped
them to start thinking like economists. Useful economic analysis requires
careful, systematic, evidence-based thinking.
It’s been 50 years since I first
taught introductory econ as a grad student teaching assistant; my how time has flown.
I’m pleased to now be an elder TA, in a sense returning to where I began.
It’s a substantive understatement
to say much has changed during the past five decades in our economy.
Nevertheless, some overly-aged, now irrelevant concepts – like the Phillips Curve –
still reside in these courses’ syllabuses. Despite this I’ve greatly enjoyed
working with the teachers and their students. I estimate about 2,500 students
have taken these courses since I began. I’m reassured that my efforts have made
a difference for a number of them. I’ve also learned more about myself,
economics and teaching.
I’ve learned the value of patience,
perspective and priorities. It’s crucial to know the details of a particular
issue, but also to comprehend the broader perspective and context about how
it’s related to the rest of the economy and society. I’ve learned that the most
important “law” of economics isn’t the Law of Supply or Demand; no, it’s the
inescapable Law of Unintended Consequences.
Another insight I gained in my
educational and professional career was to always take advantage of an Open
Door policy, referring to the time teachers, supervisors and clients make
available for interacting with them. Despite their fears of entering a teacher’s
or supervisor’s office/workspace, undergraduates will not be embarrassed by posing
questions. In fact, entering their office will directly benefit you because it
demonstrates your interest in learning and doing well and positively distinguishes
you from many of your colleagues. Just do it.
My education and career have
allowed me to travel extensively, meeting fascinating people and seeing
fascinating places. I look forward to continuing to expand my knowledge – and reducing
my know nothingness – of people and places. Entering All About U will
facilitate my journey. [650 words, oh
yeah!]
