Why Jeff Wrote Dream School and Application Boom

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:

• Breaking down the college admissions process: Why it’s important to look beyond the Ivy League schools and focus on the best fit for your child.
• The concept of "Dream Schools": What makes a school the right fit and how to identify it.
• Parents' influence on the process: How societal pressures and the desire for prestige can shape college decisions.
• Finding value in education: The importance of ROI, Merit Aid, and balancing prestige with affordability.
• Tools for parents: Resources like the College Scorecard and how to use them to make informed decisions.

Where to find Jeff Selingo

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffselingo/ 
• X: https://x.com/jselingo
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jselingo
• Website: https://jeffselingo.com/ 

Where to find Adam Fishman

• FishmanAF Newsletter: www.FishmanAFNewsletter.com 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/ 
• X: https://x.com/fishmanaf
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupdadpod/ 

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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