If you’re browsing this website you’re probably applying to or currently attending a university. Today, there is a societal expectation to go to college after you finish high school. In the movie Orange County, high school senior Shaun expresses this sentiment while talking with his distraught mother:

Shaun: I have to go to college.
Mother: Why?
Shaun: Because it’s what you do after high school.

But should it be? Every year a few million students enroll in a college or university. Six years later only 72 percent of them will have graduated. Nearly half of these graduates will move back home with their parents. On average they will be saddled with about 20,000 dollars in student loans and their credit card balance will exceed 3,000 dollars. The same graduates will face a starting salary of 30,000 dollars, if they can find a job.

When I was an undergraduate, I had lots of friends who didn’t know why they were in school. They slogged through boring classes in majors they weren’t passionate about. They accrued debt while hopping between majors. Some of them graduated with lackluster job prospects and others dropped out of school. One close friend gave up on getting his degree to enlist in the army to pay off a staggering 40,000 dollar student loan bill.

A college education is a huge investment. And, if you’re in your last couple years of high school or your first couple years of college there is a lot you don’t know. This site won’t tell you how meet members of the opposite sex, become a pro at beer pong, or plan an awesome spring break. I imagine you’ll do just fine in those areas on your own. What I can do is help you find a great college, avoid going into debt, and show you what you need to do now to get a great job or attend your dream graduate school later.

You can and should listen to the advice of your parents and counselors. But it’s been years since they’ve taken classes in a lecture hall and a lot has changed. This site offers unconventional advice that you won’t find anywhere else. It’s the type of stuff I wish I knew when I started college. After who you marry, the choices you make regarding college are some of the most important decisions of your life. Why not take a look at some of our more popular articles? It’s just too important not to be collegewize…

Regards,

Chris

Advice on Getting In, Making the Most of It, Paying for It
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