Dream school : finding the college that's right for you / Jeffrey Selingo.

By:

Selingo, Jeffrey J [author.]

Material type: Text

TextPublisher: New York, NY : Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, LLC, 2025Copyright date: ©2025Edition: First Scribner hardcover editionDescription: xi, 338 pages : illustrations ; 24 cmContent type:

text

Media type:

unmediated

Carrier type:

volume

ISBN:

1668056208
9781668056202

Other title:

Finding the college that is right for you

Subject(s):

Genre/Form:

Contents:

Author's note -- Introduction -- Part I: Why your assumptions about elite colleges are all wrong. Great expectations : why you need a backup plan -- Swimming in calmer waters : the elite college degree matters less than you think -- Part II: Mapping the new admissions landscape. The rise of the out-of-state recruit : what's driving teenagers to cross borders -- Value over prestige : skipping the next tier of schools to get a deal -- The age of agency : why this is your time to explore -- Part III: What to look for in your dream school. On the hunt for a good school : how the information marketplace fed our obsession with admissions -- Mentors matter : finding colleges that put teaching first -- Finding your people : how belonging shapes your undergraduate experience -- The doom loop of college finances : how to make sure a college will continue to have the dollars to invest in you -- Better than average : making sure the degree pays off -- Conclusion: Dreams -- Appendix: The "new" dream schools--a selected list -- Hidden values -- Breakout regionals -- Large leaders -- Acknowledgements -- Notes -- Index.

Summary: "Attending college has long been a rite of passage for millions of teens and a bedrock 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 test-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 incredible value and rich opportunities are waiting to be discovered. Backed by unparalleled research--and an eye-opening survey of more than 3,000 parents--Dream School reveals 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 three 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" -- Provided by publisher.

List(s) this item appears in: New Adult Nonfiction

Average rating: 0.0 (0 votes)

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Shelving location	Call number	Status	Date due	Barcode	Item holds
Adult Book	Phillipsburg Free Public Library	Adult Non-Fiction	New Books	378.1610973 SEL	Available		36748002625814

Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

New York Times Bestseller!

From the bestselling author of Who Gets In and Why , a must-have playbook for families coping with a more stressful era of startling low admission rates and sky-high prices--one that widens the aperture beyond the Top 25 schools and connects students, parents, and counselors with quality, affordable choices.

Attending college has long been a rite of passage for millions of teens and a bedrock 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 test-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 incredible value and rich opportunities are waiting to be discovered. Backed by unparalleled research--and an eye-opening survey of more than 3,000 parents-- Dream School reveals 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 three 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.

Destined to become the ultimate guide for families crossing the perilous college admissions landscape, Dream School isn't just a book--it's a lifeline for those who can find themselves trapped in an overwhelming process.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 297-315) and index.

"Attending college has long been a rite of passage for millions of teens and a bedrock 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 test-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 incredible value and rich opportunities are waiting to be discovered. Backed by unparalleled research--and an eye-opening survey of more than 3,000 parents--Dream School reveals 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 three 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" -- Provided by publisher.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

Author's Note (xi)
Introduction (1)
Part I Why Your Assumptions About Elite Colleges Are All Wrong (15)
Chapter 1 Great Expectations Why You Need a Backup Plan (17)
Chapter 2 Swimming in Calmer Waters The Elite College Degree Matters Less Than You Think (47)
Part II Mapping the New Admissions Landscape (69)
Chapter 3 The Rise of the Out-of-State Recruit What's Driving Teenagers to Cross Borders (71)
Chapter 4 Value Over Prestige Skipping the Next Tier of Schools to Get a Deal (91)
Chapter 5 The Age of Agency Why This Is Your Time to Explore (115)
Part III What to Look for in Your Dream School (127)
Chapter 6 On the Hunt for a Good School How the Information Marketplace Fed Our Obsession with Admissions (129)
Chapter 7 Mentors Matter Finding Colleges That Put Teaching First (153)
Chapter 8 Finding Your People How Belonging Shapes Your Undergraduate Experience (175)
Chapter 9 The Doom Loop of College Finances How to Make Sure a College Will Continue to Have the Dollars to Invest in You (197)
Chapter 10 Better Than Average Making Sure the Degree Pays Off (219)
Conclusion: Dreams (241)
Appendix: The "New" Dream Schools-A Selected List (247)
Hidden Values (251)
Breakout Regionals (265)
Large Leaders (273)
Acknowledgments (293)
Notes (297)
Index (317)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

In an economic, political, and academic environment that has engendered unprecedented challenges for U.S. colleges and the students interested in attending them, books like this one will make the difference in who applies to colleges, how they do it, and why. Selingo (Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions) offers advice about how to streamline and simplify the application process by generating a list of colleges accessible at each step along the way, from the application through the admission process and ultimately graduation. Selingo breaks down the dollar-for-dollar discrepancies between what U.S. students pay and what their degree will be worth and provides accessible, action-oriented tips for matching sticker price with future plans. Plus, he includes a list of 75 affordable U.S. colleges, which will help students and their advisors reframe their ideas about the value of colleges and the educational pathways opened by higher ed. VERDICT Selingo breaks down stereotypes and assumptions about the real value of schools so students can make informed decisions, based less on false notions of prestige and more on what will pay off for them as they receive degrees and move onto the next phase of their personal and professional lives.--Emily Bowles

Publishers Weekly Review

College applicants should stop obsessing over brand-name institutions and search for a school that can help them determine "who want to become" and develop the "mindset, relationships, and skills" to get there, according to this insightful guide. Drawing from interviews with students, parents, admissions officers, and experts, education writer Selingo (Who Gets in and Why) debunks the myth that one's undergrad institution determines professional success (the list of Fortune 500 CEOs has alums from plenty of lesser-known schools, as well as Ivies) or postgrad pay. Pushing back on the idea that college is just a stepping stone to a high-powered career, he also highlights the value of school in developing one's identity in broader ways, including via extracurriculars like intramural sports teams. As acceptance rates dwindle at big-name schools, applicants should take care to apply to "Plan B" colleges that get ignored in favor of Ivies, suggests Selingo, who notes that more obscure colleges can boast smaller classes, more individualized attention from professors, or simply the chance for students to be "big fish in a small pond." Selingo intersperses his actionable advice with anecdotes from college students and parents, and he effectively exposes how the American " 'elite college or bust' mentality" damages students, the education system, and the professional world. The result is an essential complement to Frank Bruni's Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be. (Sept.)