Many high school seniors, along with their parents, are currently on tender hooks, anxiously scrutinizing their incoming emails and letters. They are in the midst of the college admission season, that annual rite of spring when students learn whether they have been accepted or rejected by the colleges of their choice.       

This sometimes-harsh process is the gauge by which some students and their families judge their entire elementary and secondary school careers. They believe that admission is a reward for diligent and outstanding classroom efforts. And just as admission is a sign of success, rejection is a sign of failure. 

Unfortunately, today there are no guarantees when it comes to entrance to many academic institutions, public or private. The number of applicants continues to grow, with the most selective colleges and universities currently accepting well under 10 percent. These odds lead to heartbreak and disappointment for deserving and gifted students. But rejection is, in no way, terminal. Far from it. 

Let’s pause for a moment and put this whole college selection process into context.

Our system of higher education is staggering in size.  In the United States, we have 4,500 colleges and universities. They enroll more than 20 million students from every conceivable location and background. They employ 3.7 million people, from faculty to maintenance workers to administrators to everything in-between. Annually, they award 800,000 associate degrees, 1.7 million bachelor’s degrees, 690,000 master’s degrees, and 70,000 doctorates. The total cost is $460 billion. 

Our system of higher education is astoundingly diverse. The 4,500 institutions range in size from a few hundred students to 60,000. They are both public and private; two-year, four-year and graduate; teaching and research; religious and secular; urban and rural; liberal and conservative. There is something for every student and every taste whether you want to study art, business, math, English or science. 

Our system of higher education is mostly wide open. Of the 4,500 institutions, only about 100 are selective (accepting less than half the applicants). These are made up of the Ivies, several flagship state universities (e.g. University of Virginia), and a relatively few small (e.g. Amherst) and large (e.g. Stanford) private schools.  

In this large, diverse and open system, it is a mistake to equate selectivity with quality. While there is no question that those selective schools are fine institutions, so are many others. Some of the nation’s greatest schools, such as Ohio State and Kansas University, pride themselves in accepting students from a wide range of backgrounds. Their job, as they see it, is to serve both the elite and the non-elite. They provide a superb education, and their reputations are second to none. 

Unlike many other countries, we have a place at the table for everyone — those who are younger and those who are older, those who have excelled in education and those seeking a second or even third chances. The diversity of the system is typified by our community colleges. They play a critical and multi-faceted role: bridge to four-year schools, provider of second and third chances (remediation), trainer of skilled professionals, facilitator of lifelong learning opportunities, and much more. 

One fact is paramount: Our nation’s health depends on a strong system of higher education. It is critical to our ability to meet labor market needs, support democracy, and make intellectual advancements.

“There is no substitute for college,” said Gaston Caperton, who has worked the nation’s educational vineyard for more than 12 years as president of the College Board. “An education, at many levels, is the clear pathway to meet countless needs and challenges in America.”

To those of you who are on pins and needles, we salute you for your academic achievements — most impressive. You deserve success and you will find it regardless of the campus. Let us also take our hats off to those who have entered higher education through alternate routes. You may be assured that America needs all of you and your special talents.