Book: Dream School

Book: Dream School

Author: Jeffery Selingo

Pages: 352

This is my 23rd read for the year

What Amazon Says:

Attending college has long been a rite of passage for millions of teens and a bedock of the American dream.  But that well-worn path has lately taken a wrong turn, denying admission even to super-achievers and putting intolerable stress on family finances.  Now, in Dream School Jeffrey Selingo shifts the spotlight from how colleges pick students to how students can better pick colleges.  With est-optional policies and grade inflation leveling the playing field for applicants, getting into prestigious schools has become a kind of lottery.  "Plan A" may work out, but increasingly it isn't- so Selingo urges families to ditch the "Top 25 or bust" mindset and look beyond the usual suspects.  Hidden-gem schools with increidble value and rich opportunities are wiating to be discovered.  Backed by unparalleled research - and an eye-opening survey of more than 3000 parents - Dream School revelas what really matters in a college: strong job prospects after graduation, hands-on learning experiences, and a sense of belonging.  To help students find their perfect match, Selingo highlights 75 accessible and affordable colleges that will satisfy those priorities.  Organized into 3 easy-to-digest sections, Dream School explains why elite college degrees turn out to matter less than you think, why many parents and students are choosing value over prestige, and how to make sure the degree really pays off.  In these pages, Selingo's engaging style and expert insights turn what is often an unnavigable maze into a clear roadmap.

This was a great book.  I have followed Jeff for the last few years as my last two children navigated the college landscape.  My kids graduated last year - the height of a "baby boom" of kids going off to college.  They had so much competition, and being good students, it was wild to navigate the waters with them.  Jeff is grounding.  His first book - "Who gets in and why" brought me down to reality and helped me help the kids make smart decisions about where they wanted to go to school based on more than a name.  And they have ended up at terrific places that fit them well thanks in part of guidance of Jeff and his videos and sessions over the last year.  I knew I needed to read his new book and if you are in the middle of looking for colleges for your kids - this book is for you.  He helps you make sense of the landscape and realy helps you focus on helping your kids find the next step that makes sense for them.  My favorite line in the book was "HOW you go to college matters much more than WHERE you go to college"  No truer words.

Stars: 4.5