Random (Ridiculous) Way to Think About College

Do You Realize How Insane College Is?

Imagine that you were starting a business…and modeled it after a college. Here’s how it would work:

First, you “invite” candidates for your services to “apply” to you, paying an application fee of, say 75 bucks.  Maybe $100.

Then, because they've paid you, they now have the privilege of having you “evaluate” the candidate, to tell him or her whether they qualify.  (Only 15% meet your standards, by the way.)

The good news for your business is that you have tens of thousands of applicants for 2,500 spots.

If the stars align and you decide that they are, indeed a fit for your services, you then inform them, on a pre-determined day, that they have earned the “privilege” of paying you $250,000. 

You then brace yourself for their outrage…

...Instead, they are delighted!

In fact, your new customers go out and buy sweatshirts, stickers for their cars, pennants for their walls and other indicia that they’ve “bought in” and joined an exclusive club (cult?), thereby advertising your business for free (actually, they’re paying YOU to advertise your product, if you want to be completely honest)!

One more thing – please note the absence of any rigorous analysis by your prospective customer about the quality of your product – they assume that, because you don’t accept most prospective customers, you must be top notch! 

Otherwise, why would your business be in such demand? Sounds nuts, right? 

It is nuts.

But it's also factual.

The sooner you come to grips with this, the better.

Andrew Lockwoood, J.D.  is a "late-stage" college finance and admissions consultant in Plainview, Long Island.  More information is available on his main site, AndyLockwood.com.