Many people focus on a few famous and selective colleges, but these schools only accept a very small number of students. They are not really “prestigious,” but “highly rejective.” The speaker, a first-generation graduate from Portland State University, explains that regional public universities (RPUs) are very different. They welcome almost everyone who applies and mainly serve their local communities. RPUs often help students who are the first in their families to go to college.
Adams State University in Colorado is one example. It supports local people, including many Latinx and low-income students, and even offers degrees to those in prison. It helps the local economy by millions of dollars each year and gives students real chances for upward mobility. However, such universities are often ignored or underfunded because they are not considered “elite.” The speaker argues that colleges should be judged not by how many people they reject, but by how much they include and how well they improve their communities.
Vocabulary:
• equitable (adj): fair and equal for everyone.
• transformational (adj): bringing big positive change.
• prestigious (adj): respected and admired for quality.
• rejective (adj): refusing many applicants.
• first-generation (adj): the first in a family to go to college.
• aspiration (noun): a strong hope or goal.
• incarcerated (adj): kept in prison.
• upward mobility (noun): moving to a better social or economic position.
• underfunded (adj): not receiving enough money.
• local community (noun): people living in the same area.