” Can you give me a heads up on the three most important things I should be thinking about?”

This was a question I tackled on Quora recently. It got me to thinking.

We have this “College Thing” all screwed up. It used to work pretty well. Not too long ago, a bachelor’s degree would translate into middle-class, or better, financial prosperity. However, in the last twenty-five years that paradigm has fallen apart. Forty percent of the kids who rush off to college every fall end up dropping out. Around twenty-six percent graduate, but end up in jobs that don’t require a college degree.

That means that only one college student in three is getting the desired outcome, i.e. they graduate with a bachelor’s degree and are fully employed. Batting .333 in major league baseball is a great accomplishment. When it comes to post-secondary education, it’s not good enough.

Here’s my take on what has gone wrong:

https://www.quora.com/What-has-changed-about-being-a-college-student-over-the-last-25-years/answer/Thomas-B-Walsh

Now take a look at this:

https://myfuture.com/college/planning/college-planning-timeline?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqP7p5Jqk3gIVApppCh2DKQR8EAAYASAAEgJeFvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This is a typical example of the advice your student is likely to be getting from their high school guidance counselor today. It might have worked a quarter century ago, but, as you can see from the “outcomes statistics,” it is not working now.

This led me to what I think are the three most important factors in making college a success today:

• Selection of Major
• College Fitness
• Financial Planning

https://www.quora.com/I-am-helping-my-daughter-with-the-college-admissions-process-What-is-your-advice/answer/Thomas-B-Walsh