Comments on: Ivy League Education Leaves Man Homeless

By: Harry

Harry — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 07:59:36 +0000

Oh man the message this article conveys is just great, this should be required reading for high school students.

By: Mark Montgomery

Mark Montgomery — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 01:00:42 +0000

Hi, Shawn. Good question. No, I don’t have such statistics. Not sure who might collect them. I wonder if individual shelters collect data like that on their residents/clients. I am guessing the Ivy League schools are not really interested in collecting such data. : )
Good luck in your quest.

By: Shawn

Shawn — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:24:15 +0000

Do you have any statistics on the percentage of homeless people that have a college degree whether from an ivy league school or otherwise?

By: Mark Montgomery

Mark Montgomery — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 18:10:41 +0000

Hello, Nydia. Great question. The answer is yes. I, myself, have a Dartmouth classmate who is homeless. She has experienced many difficulties in her life, including struggles with mental illness. Going to a particular school does not immunize any of us from life’s tragedies. In fact, going to an Ivy League school is no guarantee of anything. The name of the school on your diploma is no ticket to life. It’s sad when students I come into contact with tell me that getting into this or that school is a matter of “life and death” for them. The fact is that one’s life is dependent on your own talents, your own abilities, your collected experience, and your physical and mental constitution. The diploma has nothing to do with it–and there are studies to back this up. Of course, as one who has attended an Ivy League school, I can tell you that you can experience some great things at one of those schools. But you can also become depressed, anxious, insecure, and every other inevitable human emotion. And, yes, you can even end up homeless. “Ivy” is not synonymous with “happy.”
Best wishes to you.

By: Nydia

Nydia — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 17:38:58 +0000

I heard that there are homeless people that have gone to Harvard and other Ivy League schools. How is that possible? Is it always by choice? How did other factors play into it?

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 18:09:31 +0000

Hi, Sean. Sorry to “disgust” you. I agree that just having a degree will never be a guarantee of a job. In fact, life carries very few guarantees. It’s frustrating, I know.
Best regards.

By: Sean M. Donahue

Sean M. Donahue — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 09:55:49 +0000

I have 2 degrees from columbia but no job.

Your play on words disgusts me. If you looked harder, you would find an ample supply of homeless people with degrees, even from top schools. Education that cannot or will not guarantee a job is useless.