Review of Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You
Last year, I read and reviewed Jeffrey Selingo’s Who Gets In and Why. It was a helpful start to this process because it introduced me to the way college admissions staffs see this game (oops, process).
Now that we’re in the thick of it, I read Selingo’s latest book, Dream School. This book is equal parts how-to guide, a lamentation about college admissions, and a plea to parents of high-achieving students to ignore the pull of prestige. If you’re in this process, or about to be, here are some takeaways.
Think about the ROI!
As college has become more expensive, more parents are rethinking the cost of an elite education. Note: Selingo defines “elite” as the top ranked universities that accept very few of those who apply.
The full price figures for elite universities will literally take your breath away. It’s not outrageous to find that the full price could cost nearly half a million dollars. To quote my husband’s uncle, that is nucking futs.
Selingo spends a good portion of the book showing that the return on this investment is mixed. He points out that big employers focus on regional connections. They assume a California kid isn’t as likely to move or stay on the East Coast or in the South, for example, as a kid who is already there. Internships are more important than ever, and these often go to students at nearby universities on the assumption that some of these kids will shine as interns and stay on after graduation.
Most importantly, elite college graduates only earn a slight advantage in earnings, on average. They have a higher chance of becoming a multimillionaire than those at lower ranked institutions, but the average graduate does only slightly better than those who went to institutions that are less expensive.
Selingo offers some tips for finding out the job prospects for average graduates. Use the College Scorecard to look up the average amount people pay AND the average amount graduates earn. You can even filter by major! It doesn’t include all students, but it’s a good place to start. If you’re on LinkedIn, you can also search for people who graduated from a specific university and even search for specific majors. This is also a good way to see where people are employed, and what their trajectory looked like.
Looking at my daughter’s list, there is a $35,000 difference from the school that has the highest average earnings in her intended major (an elite school) and the one with the lowest (a state university not in the elite publics). The difference in tuition at these places is $23,000 per year. These are the extremes – the average earnings are pretty similar across her list.
Getting into a Southern State School Is Harder than It Used to Be
Twenty or thirty years ago, it was relatively easy to get into the big flagship state universities in the South, as compared to the “public ivies” like Michigan or Berkeley. Today, that is not the case. To understand why, see #1. Even out of state tuition is a relative bargain compared to the prices of elite private universities. And for students, Southern state schools have two big draws: sun and fun!
Selingo discusses that elite university experiences can often be competitive and full of pressure. Many high-achieving kids feel like they spent four years in high school trying to prove themselves so they could get into their dream college. A less intense college experience, with more parties and less clothing (my own take) would be awesome.
This is changing the demographics at these places. Selingo notes that the University of Georgia has the third-highest share of students from the top 1% of family incomes. At my alma mater, the College of Charleston, where nearly everyone was from South Carolina when I went there 30 years ago, today 20% are from New England and the Mid-Atlantic.
The Magic Formula
Selingo contends parents and students should consider the following when looking at colleges. He also provides a list of schools he believes are overlooked by parents, but that have high scores on all these indicators.
- A real first-year experience – Does the university have a solid transition program that helps students get on their feet? How does advising work – can they get appointments? Do they have the same advisor for at least a year? What supports are available for struggling students?
- Ability to connect to others – Are faculty available or will they only be able to meet with teaching assistants? Do most students stick around for the weekends? Hint: All colleges tout their hundreds of student clubs. Look beyond the number to the substance.
- Assistance with finding and getting internships and research opportunities – Does the career center and/or their major match them with internships? Are there real opportunities for students to do research with professors (not graduate students)? Is there funding for these endeavors?
- Financial stability of the university – Chapter 9 of his book tells you how to identify if the college is financially stable. As enrollments fall, some institutions are faltering. See Birmingham Southern.
I really enjoyed this book! He says one of the biggest drivers of the elite admissions game is parents who want to look good in their social group. We must get over the desire to brag on social media, and instead focus on the experience our kid is likely to have in college.
