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The Duffy family's debate about Harvard starts with the school's values. I think it starts too late. Before asking which college is safe for your daughter, ask what she needs college to do. A school name or a shared faith doesn't answer that question. I've worked in AI and machine learning software without buying a degree.

I've also written books and built a business. College wasn't the starting point for those results. Sending a young woman to college without a clear goal can cost her time and limit her choices. Debt can add pressure to take work that doesn't fit her family plans. A career-focused daughter also needs a path built around the work she wants.

I draw a line between a legal degree requirement and an assumption about what employers want. Buying more degrees won't change what a job pays. Parents need to look at the actual work, its pay, and the training needed to enter it. Start with your daughter's needs for income, schedule, work setting, and location.

Find careers that fit. Then check the skills, licenses, and training each path needs. Look at current entry-level openings, paid training, and apprenticeships. Get her around people doing the work. If her chosen career legally requires college, choose a school with that goal in mind.

The goal comes first. The school comes later.