David Leonharht's Article It College Worth It Argument

Improved Essays
A college degree is a luxury that a few fortune people can obtain, and even fewer can capitalize on a soft job market. This is the generalization that has confronted many considering a college degree program and older adults weighing the reasonableness of returning to college. Columnist David Leonharht, wrote the article, "It college Worth It?", published in 2014 in the The New York Times, and addresses this assumption of college relevance in which he argues that while a college degree does not offer a guarantee of social success, it is the best decision one can make to maximize ones financial potential and achieve middle class status and beyond. Leonhardt begins his credibility with his own professional background, and further progresses …show more content…
The statements that "those who question the value of college tend to be those with the luxury of knowing their children will be able to attend it", and "the decision not to attended college for the fear that it is a bad deal", supports the personalization of the premise that may challenge or reinforce his argument, depending on the target audience.

David Leonhardt 's structure supports a premise that "college is worth it, and it 's not even close". He supports his claim with an assertion that "American 's with 4 year degree 's make 98% more an hour on average in 2013 than people without a degree". Leonhardt 's presents the following statement, "from almost any perspective, college is a no brained, it 's the most liable ticket to the middle class and beyond", which sets the author 's tone throughout his article as perceivably non-combative, and presents someone concerned for the state and wellbeing of people.

The author advocates for people to live to their full potential. The author 's ethos demonstrates a disrespect towards elitism and irrational, perhaps cynicism, concern about employment prospects following college graduation. To counter this, Leonhardt states statistical data that supports and reinforces the working reality detailed in his
…show more content…
The addition of empirical evidence provided by the Labor Department Statistics by the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, and their analysis states, as reported by Leonharht, that college graduates earned 98% more an hour in 2013 than non-degree holders. This was an increase from 89% in 2008, and 85% a decade earlier. Moreover, economists David Autor, along with fellow economists Christopher Avery and Sarah Turner, arrive at a "real cost" number, as stated by Leonhardt, that not attaining a college degree reflects a negative earning potential of $500,000. This adjuted number accounts for inflation, time value, and cost of college, and as Leonhardt explains, this number is the cost to people, over a lifetime, who forgo receiving a college degree.

The author 's argument, his pathos, invokes the combination of emotions such as anxiety, hope, and fear. The argument reaches to a place, for many people, of financial comfort and social stability. His claim narrows the focus to a plausible way out of to personal potential with a college degree. The author 's appeal, as detailed by economist Autor, Avery, and Turner made the impact compelling, emotionally even, on the intended audience. Included with his core appeals, was the weight given to the offer challenges to his

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