I rejected Yale for a small Bible college. My life and faith are better for it

High achiever chose a small Bible college over Yale, prioritizing character formation and intellectual freedom over Ivy League prestige and networking

Garrett Fish is a writer and theology student from Michigan passionate about cultural analysis, storytelling and serving his community.

At first, I wrestled with the decision. Like many high-achievers, I had grown up believing that the Ivy League represented the pinnacle of education, the proof that you were among the "best of the best." To toss that aside seemed nothing but reckless. But as I waited and listened to the counsel of my parents, I began reading more deeply about Yale and its cultural drift. Faculty who expressed dissenting opinions denied tenure. Guest speakers with unpopular views disinvited. A once-proud institution of intellectual diversity increasingly resembling a gated community of ideological conformity.