Life Kit: Parenting · NPR

A smarter way to pick the right college

September 25, 2025·20 min·1 clip
A Columbia freshman couldn't get into classes and found no mentors, so they transferred to a state school and thrived.
Higher education journalist Jeffrey Salingo challenges the obsession with prestigious colleges, arguing that fit and support matter more than brand names. He shares stories of students who transferred to thrive, offers practical tips for evaluating schools, and discusses how factors like rankings and financial pressures distort the admissions process.

As heard by us

A college search gets clearer when support and belonging matter more than a famous name.

Life Kit reframes the college search away from logo chasing and toward a more practical question: whether a school helps students find their footing and feel part of campus life.

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Why you'd press play

You can stop treating famous college names as destiny and ask what kind of support a college actually builds around students.

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