I was lucky to get David, a busy parent of two, on a call last night for an enlightening discussion. I asked him a few questions.
When will you next get on a train to NYC for work?
"No time soon, we're adjusting to work at home."
When will you next get on a plane?
"Not until there's a vaccine."
Will you allow your son to get on a plane in August for a return to college?
"Not likely!"
How do you feel about paying full tuition for online classes this spring?
"I don't like it at all?"
How willing are you to pay full tuition in the fall if your son is told to stay home for online classes?
"I'm not!"
David then said- "Colleges are like cruise ships!"
We all get exactly what that means, as do the colleges!
So, what does it mean for you, the parents? It means the battle is on between you and the colleges.
The goals of both parents and colleges are out of alignment and have been for a long time. No blaming the colleges, rather, it's the parents who have allowed it. But now it's been exposed- a decade of increasing costs, crowded dorms, student loans, parent debt...ahhh, the big business of college hard at work.
Colleges will desperately try to hold on to their golden-goose business model, a model driven by their desire to own the power-position over you—parents!
I've discussed this for years, but it has often fallen on deaf ears. Why? Because parents have desperately held onto their illusion of what college is to them, but the illusion has been pierced, if not crushed.
We're talking about piercing the illusion of grandeur, the allure of college rankings and prestige, the inherent expectations and pressures, the boast of bumper stickers and FB posts, the bravado that goes with it all, and yes...the accompanying price tag that too many people have been long too willing to pay.
Parents are now asking about its worth and questioning if they really have to play along with any more? If you let loose of the illusion, then you can regain the power-position.
After all, when will you next board a cruise ship?
We're all experiencing life in a new way forcing us to learn new abilities, adjust our patterns, adopt new mindsets, create alternatives, and foresee a new normal.
The golden-goose business model, described well here- Dissecting the Big Business of College (my book!) is tinkering and in need of its own correction.
Colleges are uncertain-
- they can host on-campus classes in the fall
- they can fill a Freshmen class
- they have parents willing to continue paying their increasing costs
- they can fill big stadiums any longer.
That's a lot of uncertainty creating a lot of opportunities but only if parents will let go of the illusion.
It's our task, duty, and responsibility to take back the power-position that should've always belonged to us. It once did, but the 2010's spelt the time that parents became all too willing to turn their power over to the colleges for the sake of the illusion.
This discussion will continue. Please look out for my upcoming FB Group and FB Live invitation.
Coming soon will be the launch of my new CollegeLogic Academy, where we will pursue real opportunity and leave the illusion to others.
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Your outcomes reflect the energy you attract!
COLLEGELOGIC: OUR MISSION—YOUR OUTCOME
