I wish that I had discovered this book when it was
originally published a few years ago.
However, the paperback version of College (Un)Bound is
being released this week and it deserves a look from students and parents. Of particular interest should be the “checklist”
near the back which highlights a variety of factors to consider in selecting a
college: job placement rates, mobility
of credits, tech savviness and academic rigor are amongst the examples.
Overall, The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Jeffrey
Selingo writes in an entertaining style while raising and explaining numerous
issues (particularly economic ones) related to colleges and universities. There
are many surprising (and some sad) statistics:
- 29 states gave less to colleges in 2012 than they did in 2007;
- The University of Arizona and the University of Oregon now enroll more freshmen from California than six California State University campuses do;
- Chinese undergraduates studying at American colleges has tripled in recent years and numbers over 40,000 (yet our visa system lags behind and they face difficulty staying to work in America);
- According to Pew Research, 75 percent of Americans say college is out of reach for most people, up from 60 percent just two decades ago.
Selingo has also recently written a shorter, 66 page piece titled MOOC U: Who Is Getting the Most Out of Online
Education and Why which likely expands upon some of the innovative
uses of technology which he described in College (Un)Bound. I hope that he continues to update his
"insider" views and perspective across a number of institutions.
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