In this episode of Startup Dad, Adam Fishman sits down with Jeff Selingo, a bestselling author, journalist and education expert, to discuss the complexities of college admissions and how parents can help their kids find their "Dream School." Jeff has spent over two decades researching higher education and is the author of Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You, Who Gets in and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, There Is Life After College: What Parents and Students Should Know About Navigating School to Prepare for the Jobs of Tomorrow, and College Unbound: The Future of Higher Education and What it Means for Students. As a dad of two nearly college-bound kids, Jeff offers a unique perspective on navigating the college decision-making process from the lens of a parent and expert. We discussed:
Where to find Jeff Selingo
Where to find Adam Fishman
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introducing Jeff Selingo
(02:22) Inspiration behind Dream School
(06:45) The college application boom
(08:59) The role of colleges in the application frenzy
(14:20) The Moneyball approach to college selection
(18:49) Early decision and early action explained
(23:17) Parents' role in college admissions
(25:16) Research insights from 'Dream School'
(28:54) Skipping over rankings
(29:19) The value of college prestige
(30:04) Choosing a major for the right reasons
(31:51) Defining your dream school
(33:14) Underappreciated factors in college fit
(35:15) Addressing neurodiversity in college admissions
(37:16) Examples of lesser-known dream schools
(42:43) Future outlook on college education
(50:55) Lightning Round: Quick takes on college myths and advice for parents
Resources From This Episode:
Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You: https://jeffselingo.com/books/dreamschool/
College Confidential: https://collegeconfidential.com/
Reddit Threads on College Admissions: https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/
Next Newsletter by Jeff Selingo: https://jeffselingo.com/next-newsletter/
Future U Podcast: https://www.futureupodcast.com/
Dickinson College: https://www.dickinson.edu/
St. Olaf College: https://wp.stolaf.edu/
Denison University: https://denison.edu/
Furman University: https://www.furman.edu/
Michigan State University: https://msu.edu/
Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University: https://barretthonors.asu.edu/
SEC: https://www.sec.gov/
Arizona State University: https://www.asu.edu/
Gordian Knot: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Gordian-knot
Who Gets In and Why: https://jeffselingo.com/books/who-gets-in-and-why/
Common App: https://www.commonapp.org/
Us News and World Report: https://www.usnews.com/
Bill Royall: https://news.vcu.edu/article/Bill_Royall_former_vice_rector_of_the_VCU_Board_of_Visitors_and
Moneyball Book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1301.Moneyball
Moneyball Movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1210166/
New York Yankees: https://www.mlb.com/yankees
College Scorecard: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/
UCLA: https://www.ucla.edu/
Harvard: https://www.harvard.edu/
Yale: https://www.yale.edu/
Princeton: https://www.princeton.edu/
Stanford: https://www.stanford.edu/
Ithaca College: https://www.ithaca.edu/
Toy Story: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114709/
Karate Kid: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087538/
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