Life Kit A smarter way to pick the right college
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Sep 25, 2025 
Join Jeffrey Selingo, a higher education journalist and author of "Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You," as he explores smarter ways to choose a college. He emphasizes that fit often outweighs prestige in college selection. Selingo shares a student's experience at Columbia, the surge in college applications due to the Common App, and how financial considerations can alter choices. He also stresses the importance of first-year support systems and encourages families to redefine their 'dream school' by prioritizing environments that promote student fulfillment.
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Columbia Admit Who Transferred For Fit
- A student admitted to Columbia found classes closed, research inaccessible, and core requirements miserable.
- They transferred to the University of Minnesota and found mentors, research, and a friend group that fit.
Prestige Drives Application Inflation
- The college application boom is driven by prestige anxiety, not actual increases in spots.
- Applications to top colleges rose from ~600k to nearly 2 million in ~20 years.
Multiple Forces Inflate Prestige Focus
- Multiple actors fuel the prestige problem: Common App, rankings, colleges' admission strategies, and families.
- Early admissions and yield chasing distort choices and push students to apply broadly.
