Stuart proposes two better college ranking systems. The first one involves getting 1000 people to decide on different weighting values for all of the information that goes into a typical ranking like the US News & World Report ranking (graduation rate, teacher:student ratio, etc.) Once everybody choses their weighting, the average weightings would …

Stuart rails on people whose life goal is to buy a home in the Hamptons. As usual, Jed plays the devil's advocate. Along the way, they try to answer the question, "Should someone who can afford it send their child to a top-100 university, or are there reasons for encouraging one's child to attend a cheaper school?" Listen as the conversation betwee…

Stuart rails on people whose life goal is to buy a home in the Hamptons. As usual, Jed plays the devil's advocate. Along the way, they try to answer the question, "Should someone who can afford it send their child to a top-100 university, or are there reasons for encouraging one's child to attend a cheaper school?" Listen as the conversation betwee…

Stuart is back! And he thinks US News rankings aren't worth a hoot. Jed tries to play the Devil's advocate, but in the end, they both conclude that no one should pick one school over another school based on any college ranking scheme, except if it is just a quick-and-easy substitute for another metric. One example is how the US News college ranking…

Stuart is back! And he thinks US News rankings aren't worth a hoot. Jed tries to play the Devil's advocate, but in the end, they both conclude that no one should pick one school over another school based on any college ranking scheme, except if it is just a quick-and-easy substitute for another metric. One example is how the US News college ranking…

With Stuart away for one more week, Jed interviews Washington Monthly Editor-in-Chief and former Bill Clinton speechwriter, Paul Glastris. Glastris, a one-time US News and World Report employee, developed a new ranking system at the Washington Monthly that is nearly the antithesis of what US News says. But should we throw out the US News rankings a…

While Stuart is away, Jed takes the opportunity to interview his old friend and former university president, Mike Nietzel. Mike talks about a book he just finished by author and economics professor Phillip Levine (A Problem of Fit). Mike gives his own thoughts about whether the government should pay for people to go to college (yes, they should dou…

Stuart and Jed discuss time management. Stuart suggests that most students know that academics require a portion of their time (on average, 15 hours) but don't realize that self-discovery also takes time. Social interactions take time, too, but many students naturally take time to socialize. Yet Stuart encourages students to do their socializing in…

Stuart and Jed discuss time management. Stuart suggests that most students know that academics require a portion of their time (on average, 15 hours) but don't realize that self-discovery also takes time. Social interactions take time, too, but many students naturally take time to socialize. Yet Stuart encourages students to do their socializing in…

Stuart and Jed start by examining the value of the popular "parent-child college road trip" and come up with good recommendations on how to make that trip a success. Then, they discuss prestigious universities and conclude they are important if you want to go to a top law or MBA program. Finally they give some great advice for writing your college …

In this trailer, Stuart and Jed only discuss the last item: what you should put in your college admission essays. But you can watch the full episode to find out about college tours and prestigious colleges. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jed-macosko/message

Stuart and Jed answer that pressing question, "How do I get into my dream school?" And for parents, the question is, "How can I help my child get into the school they've always wanted to attend and that will be best for them?" You may not like the answer, but it's the only answer that is true. And, it is comforting to know the truth! --- Send in a …

Rojstaczer and Macosko are not common names. Listen here to learn the trick to pronouncing them! Also, having a child (or grandchild, niece, etc.) is stressful. Listen to Stuart giving his advice on how to de-stress. As a bonus, this podcast is actually a video so that you can see how these two profs look. This video is formatted to display on your…

Rojstaczer and Macosko are not common names. Listen here to learn the trick to pronouncing them! Also, having a child (or grandchild, niece, etc.) is stressful. Listen to Stuart giving his advice on how to de-stress. As a bonus, this podcast is actually a video so that you can see how these two profs look! --- Send in a voice message: https://podca…

Jed hadn't spoken with his old roommate, George Kao, for twenty years. But in this episode, they catch up and listen to each other share wisdom about how to find one's calling, how to be productive, how to hold on to what is truly important, and many other topics. It is particularly encouraging for college-bound students and their parents as they t…

In honor of Jed's colleague at AcademicInfluence.com publishing a book about contract cheating, Stuart and Jed finish their discussion on this topic and then look at the overall health of higher education. If you are wondering what will happen to American universities, listen to this enlightening conversation. --- Send in a voice message: https://p…

Jed's colleague at AcademicInfluence.com Dave Tomar, a.k.a. Ed Dante, a.k.a. the Shadow Scholar, comes clean about his past life and his new book.--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jed-macosko/message

In honor of Jed's colleague at AcademicInfluence.com publishing an entire book about contract cheating, Stuart and Jed get started on talking about cheating at all levels of education, starting with Stuart's own experience in third grade! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jed-macosko/message…