Hear Dr. Stuart Rojstaczer and Dr. Jed Macosko discuss all things in higher education that affect you as a parent, from how to get your child into college to the dangers of contract cheating. Allow Stuart and Jed to clear the muddy waters of the academic world for you and your children!
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 be computed. Stuart thinks that these averages would reflect what is really most important in choosing a college. The second kind of ranking that Stuart proposes is a quiz bowl between professors. Of course, this is just as tongue-in-cheek as the first proposal since neither one is very feasible! Listen as Stuart and Jed discuss their plans for better rankings.
14 Sept 2022
Should you send your kid to an Ivy League college?
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 between Jed and Stuart gets pretty energetic on these topics!
14 Sept 2022
Should you send your kid to an Ivy League college? (trailer)
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 between Jed and Stuart gets pretty energetic on these topics!
7 Sept 2022
Are college rankings useful?
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 is a decent substitute for figuring out how much schools have in their endowments. Choosing a school with a bigger endowment is always better, according to Stuart, since it means the school with the bigger endowment will last longer than schools with really small endowments. Listen as Stuart and Jed pull no punches on college rankings!
6 Sept 2022
Are college rankings useful for anything? (trailer)
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 is a decent substitute for figuring out how much schools have in their endowments. Choosing a school with a bigger endowment is always better, according to Stuart, since it means the school with the bigger endowment will last longer than schools with really small endowments. Listen as Stuart and Jed pull no punches on college rankings!
31 Aug 2022
Should the US News rankings be kicked to the curb?
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 altogether? Listen as Glastris give us his expert opinion.
24 Aug 2022
Should the government pay for college?
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 double Pell grant payouts, but no, they shouldn't forgive student loans in a way that disproportionally benefits more wealthy graduates). Listen in to a man who has seen many aspects of higher education!
17 Aug 2022
How should college students manage their time?
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 a more mindful, purposeful way.
17 Aug 2022
How should college students manage their time? (Trailer)
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 a more mindful, purposeful way.
10 Aug 2022
Is a college tour worth it? Are prestigious schools worth it? And how to write a college essay
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 essay.
9 Aug 2022
Is a college tour worth it? Are prestigious schools worth it? And how to write a college essay (trailer)
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.
3 Aug 2022
How can you, or your child, get into that "dream college"
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!
2 Aug 2022
How can you, or your child, get into that "dream college" (narrow vertical-format video trailer)
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 phone.
2 Aug 2022
Stuart and Jed pronounce their last names and give parents advice (video trailer)
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!
28 Jul 2022
Jed interviews entrepreneur George Kao: "looking back is the only way to find your calling"
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 try to imagine what the future holds.
27 Jul 2022
Stuart and Jed discuss contract cheating (part II) and the health of higher education
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.
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.
13 Jul 2022
Stuart and Jed discuss contract cheating (part I)
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!
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