College (Un)bound: The Future of Higher Education and What It Means for Students

Part cultural critique, part trend-spotting, and part advice for students and parents navigating a flawed system, this analysis paints an unflattering picture of middle-tier American colleges, while optimistically highlighting forward-thinking educational models. Selingo, editor-at-large of the Chronicle of Higher Education, describes a climate in which colleges compete for rankings by improving amenities, falling into an escalating cycle of tuition increases and larger financial aid packages that leave students with crushing debt, and a sense of students as consumers that leads to grade inflation and teaching compromises. As more jobs require a college degree, the average student views college as a credentialing process rather than a life experience. For today’s “digital natives,” Selingo suggests more flexible and less-expensive tools: Massive Open Online Classes (MOOCs) taught by major universities but accessible anywhere; hybrid classes that combine online lectures with in-person small group discussions; and self-directed online classes. For students deliberately choosing a traditional four-year residential college, Selingo recommends that they study topics that most engage their interests, seek passionate mentors, and learn through doing, or even failing. He delivers a powerful message to colleges themselves: the system is broken, and both their success as institutions and the future success of our workforce depends on their willingness to incorporate unbundled, lower-cost systems that allow students to customize their education. Agent: John F. Thornton, the Spieler Agency. (May)