In 'Dream School,' Jeff Selingo wants parents to rethink what makes a ‘good’ college

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Arts, Books

4.2 • 671 Ratings

🗓️ 9 October 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

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Summary

Over the past 20 years, the number of college applications filed to top schools has exploded. And while many American colleges accept most applicants, some parents and students hold tightly to the idea that prestige matters. In his new book Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right For You, journalist and higher education expert Jeff Selingo argues elite schools aren’t always the best. In today’s episode, Selingo speaks with NPR’s Michel Martin about why he wants to give parents permission to think more broadly about higher education.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is NPR's book of the day. I'm Glenn Weldon. When it comes to higher education, many parents fixate on getting their kid into one of the elite schools of the Ivy League. But journalist and author Jeff Selingo is arguing for a change in the way parents and universities approach college admissions. In his book, Dream School, finding the College that's Right for You,
0:28.1	he aims to supply parents and their kids with practical tools to help them look past school rankings and receive notions of prestige.
0:34.6	He wants parents to realize that the old ways of defining the best college, exclusivity and expensiveness,
0:38.1	have little to do with whether or not it's the one your kid is going to get the most out of.
0:41.0	He talked about it all with Michelle Martin. Here's Michelle.
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