People choose to go to college for a myriad of reasons. Some attend college because of their parents' or society's expectations. Others go to college because of the increased earning potential that a college education can offer. Still others decide to go to university to deepen their knowledge in a field that particularly interests them. William Cory, a 19th-century English schoolmaster, said: “You go to school not so much for knowledge as for arts and habits. » The arts and habits that Cory suggests students adopt are certainly things a student could learn in college. However, I don't think many people enter college with the goal of achieving the "mental courage and mental sobriety" that Cory proposes. Colleges, on the other hand, aim to see students graduate. In order to see as many students succeed as possible, universities must find ways to predict a person's ability to handle the rigors of a college education. There are several ways colleges determine admissions readiness, but one of the main ways is students' performance on the SAT. The SAT is easy to administer to many students at once to see where they are academically, but it is not necessarily the best way to determine the readiness of certain students. In order to earn a college degree, a student must take courses in a wide range of fields. variety of subjects to meet general education requirements. According to Rio Hondo's graduation requirements, “At the heart of an associate's degree, courses are designed to introduce students to the variety of ways people understand the modern world. . . More importantly, general education should lead to greater self-understanding. (Rio Hondo catalog, 43) This echoes Corey's because...... middle of paper ...... is just one path on the path of life. I believe that whatever life path we choose, we will gain self-knowledge and learn the most important arts and habits. Works Cited “Diploma and Certificate Programs.” Rio Hondo College Catalog. Flight. XLVI (2011-2012).Page 43. The canvas. 2-10-12National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). “Nontraditional Undergraduates.” Results of education condition. 2002. Page 1. The web. 2-10-12Mary L Gavin, MD, Anne M. Meduri, MD and D'Arcy Lyness, PhD. “Autism and pervasive developmental disorders”. kidshealth.org. 2-20-12Reg Weaver. “NCLB’s overreliance on testing is unrealistic, arbitrary, and often unfair. » Elements of argument. Ninth edition. Page 616. Print.Dalia Wheatt. "SAT/ACT Scores and College Admission: How Much is Your Score Really Worth?". » www.collegeview.com 2-21-12