For many kids -- myself included -- college was never presented as an option. While there were times when I resented that I had to go, it never occurred to me not to go, even though I kind of limped to the finish line.

I don't think that college is a prerequisite to success, or even a high-paying job, but I have always believed that  a degree opens the doors to more career opportunities.

Most kids I talk to seem to be of the same mind — although I have to add the caveat that I'm a journalist who often talks to ambitious and high-achieving kids.

I bring this up because an article on the USA Today wire surprised me. (see below) In the Q&A, author Charles Murray thinks too many kids are going to college, which erodes the worth of a bachelor's degree and also dooms to failure those kids who can't hack it.

It's pretty interesting and may even be correct, but I'm still going to have to put up an argument if my kids decide against going to college.

Do too many people go to college? This author says yes

By MARY BETH MARKLEIN
USA TODAY
A college education is often hailed as the ticket to the good life. But in “Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing America’s Schools Back to Reality” (Crown Forum), Charles Murray says too many people go to college. In 1994, he co-wrote “The Bell Curve,” arguing that intelligence is a better predictor of success than socioeconomic status or parents’ education. He talks with Mary Beth Marklein.

Question:You say some students just do not belong in college. Are there potential misconceptions you want to clear up?

Answer: It’s not that they’re too dumb, but whether (a bachelor’s degree) is right for all. Almost all young people need some training after high school, but pursuing a bachelor’s is a clumsy, ineffectual way to get the training they need.

Q: You say the value of the bachelor’s degree has eroded.

A: The B.A. is supposed to stand for a classic liberal education. That means having to read and understand some really tough texts. Well, there are lots of kids who are never going to be able to read “Aristotle’s Ethics” and understand it. You have colleges watering down courses, inflating grades, pretending kids are doing college-level work when they’re not. By making a degree something everyone is supposed to want, we punish people who do not get one.

Q: There’s so much focus now on improving retention and graduation rates. Are those efforts a waste of time?

A: Colleges are filled with kids who have no business being there. It’s destructive to kids who can’t handle it and flunk out. It helps no one to pretend that everyone can get a college degree if they try hard enough.

Q: Who gets to decide who should pursue a bachelor’s?

A: I’m not saying we’re going to measure the top 10 percent and let (only) them into college. I am in favor of honest counseling of high school students, of counselors saying, “If you want to give it a shot, go for it. (But) I think you’re going to have a rocky road.” I’m enthusiastically in favor of training and education after high school for everyone. I’m just saying the way we go about it is crazy. There are a bunch of options.

Q: Would you advise someone today not to go for a four-year degree?

A: The B.A., which has become a requirement to get a job interview, often has absolutely nothing to do with what the job requires. (But) the reality in today’s world is that having the B.A. makes the difference. We have to change the reality.

Q: How did people react when you first broached these ideas?

A: Almost all (the responses) were positive. Professors and teachers were saying, “Thank God someone is finally saying this.” A student said, “I knew I had to (go to college), but it wasn’t right for me, and I wish it didn’t stand there as this great promised land that sucked us in.” Those reactions seem to indicate that people are open, ready and eager to think about alternatives.

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