JEREMYCWILSON.COM

Ask Jeremy: “Can you give me some interview advice?”

In a recent question, a reader asked me about interviewing. Specifically, the reader is interviewing for both jobs and possibly for MBA programs.

See below for the question and below that for my video response.

Hi Jeremy,

Congratulations on all of your success! Thank you for the website as well. I am looking to join an MBA program and also doing some interviewing for jobs currently.  I wanted to ask about specific challenges to expect during the interview process, and also ask for any tips you might be willing to share. What were some of the key things that you thought helped you enter the program? Thank you.

See below for my video response.

In short, I talk a little about 1) Framing your answer, 2) Content of your answer,  3) tips on interview style and  4) general tips.   Note that the answer here is pretty high level given the general nature of the question.

Tags: Admissions, AskJeremy

Ask Jeremy: “Social enterprise and how to bridge gap between the nonprofit and business?”

In a recent question a reader asked me about the Social Enterprise world and about getting an MBA, or JD/MBA.  Her question was a bit complex and long, but I wanted to answer in the very first take.

As always, we’re working on improving the formatting of the response video, but for now:  “Done is better than perfect.”  See below for the question and my video response. And see below that for a few follow up links that I provided.

Hi Jeremy

I hope you’re doing well. I came across your blog while I was researching the JD-MBA program at Kellogg, as I’m currently applying. Great blog! I just had a few questions about the program and school in general, hopefully you can help me out. I have an international background, having lived in 5 different countries in the past 7 years, working, volunteering, and studying in the fields of education, journalism, human rights, and nonprofits. I’m looking to bridge the gap between the nonprofit and business sectors with my JD-MBA. I wanted to ask you about the SEEK program, in particular. I understand that almost every school has a social enterprise program/club, but why do you think, if you’re familiar with it, Kellogg’s is different? I know that they have an annual conference on social impact and innovation, but are there any other programs or even specific classes that are unique to Kellogg in this field? And as a JD-MBA, are you able to take classes at the Medill School of Journalism for elective credit? I know those are some charged questions I’ve asked, but any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks so much!

 

—  FOLLOW UP QUESTION

Hi Jeremy,

—  FOLLOW UP RESPONSE

Here are a few noteworthy things to keep in mind with the SEEK department at Kellogg specifically.

• List of some summer internships:
• Major Requirements:   At Kellogg people usually get 3 or 4 majors
• NUVention which has a SEEK and a non SEEK version. Both are good.
• Board Fellows Program
• Required 2nd year class
• Kellogg GIM GHI – HERE is another link.  It may not technically be not part of the SEEK program but all the SEEK students participate since it’s a non profit trip.
• Popular Lab Class – Sustainability Lab
• Education case competition

Hope this is a good start

#AskJeremy

Ask Jeremy: “Can you give me quick resume feedback?”

In a recent question a long time reader asked me how she could improve her resume.  Specifically, since she is applying to the MLT program for the upcoming year.

Hi Jeremy,
My name is Hashima and I am applying to MLT third round which is next week. I am not sure if my resume format is good enough. I have attached my resume, so you could view the format. I was wondering if you have any advice on how I could improve my resume. I will appreciate any advice you have on improving my resume because I always find useful information from your blog. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank you,
Hashima

Below is my video response.  The video quality isn’t perfect yet, but the lighting and formatting do continue to get better.

#AskJeremy

Tuesday’s Pre-MBA Conference Call

MLT’s Pre-MBA Conference Call 1.5 days ago was a huge success. More than 100 of you showed up and got to hear from one of the top education nonprofits I know. My apologies to everyone that technical problems kept me from being able to answer questions at the end. But I do have one alternative for you now.

Everyone on the call considering applying to MLT and to MBA programs, I’d love to answer your questions now. I’m starting a new segment here called #AskJeremy where you can Ask Me Anything on Tumblr or on my blog. I’ll answer anything I can help with related to careers, MBA and law school admissions or anything education-related that might come up. I don’t have all the answers but I do have my perspective and the perspective of people I know.

I want to respond via video so I can respond more quickly and concisely.

You can ask by sending in a video question or written question.

I’ll do my best to respond to anyone that writes, but from time to time may give priority to those from my own communities, including those from MLT and anyone  interested in sharing your story with education matters should I get more questions than I can respond to quickly.

I look forward to hearing from you all.

Tags: education

Merger Article: Kellogg Matters (My Last Article)

2012 is shaping up to be a historic year. Not only are hundreds of incoming students leaving high paying jobs to come to Kellogg, but they’re doing so in record number. Likewise, the class of 2012 can’t wait to take what they have learned here and start working again. And what perfect timing! The financial crisis feels like an event of the past. Facebook’s recent IPO had the highest valuation in history. And the prospects of making it big loom again.

Meanwhile, Dean Sally Blount continues to raise millions of dollars for our new building, where she has been featured in Forbes, Fortune and several other magazines for her fundraising efforts. And Barack Obama is about to run for a historic second term right here in own back yard in Chicago. As the momentum continues to build, many of us cannot wait to see what the future has in store not just for us here in Evanston, but for the country as a whole. But the one thing we must keep in mind is just how much Kellogg matters in all of this.

Think about all the great lessons we have learned at Kellogg – things you just cannot learn anywhere else. We’ve learned the value of teamwork – even though at times we may have hated it as much as we liked it. We’ve learned the importance of not always discussing careers and salaries during KWEST – throwing our pre-conceived notions out the door. We’ve learned what it feels like when our most prized establishment temporarily shuts down (e.g. mandatory KEG reference). We’ve learned and experienced the ups and downs of recruiting – and we’ve made it through with flying colors. And finally, we’ve learned the value that Kellogg places on thinking bravely – whether you like the motto or not.

See, the question is NOT whether we will do well after Kellogg (or during summer internships for 1^st years) – Kellogg students always do. The question is what we will do with our great education. Whether we’ll step up to the plate and try something new. And if we’ll work to come up with game-changing, innovative solutions rather than just work for that paycheck. Because with our Kellogg education, we will have that opportunity within our grasp more than ever before.

The problem is that many organizations may teach us to do the opposite. They will “do things by the book.” They will prioritize consistency over change. And they are organized to put your head down and say, “that is not my job.”

The reason for this is that, oftentimes, bravery in the typical work environment is often punished, not rewarded. Most places today are organized around avoiding risks and instead doing what they can to keep their “sustainable revenues.” That’s why nearly every top business school turns out management consultants in far greater numbers than it develops successful entrepreneurs. And why law schools produce lawyers who are phenomenal at giving options but not so great at providing real “here’s what I would do” recommendations.

Think about it — how often do we hear stories from those who have changed the world, telling us that they learned how to become brave and did something new because of work, rather than despite work? Not many.

And that is precisely why a Kellogg education matters.

During times of change, the great leaders are those that want, actually need, to change things. And that only happens when an organization encourages individuals to take brave steps forward. When they are compelled to do things differently. And when they have a great education to help them take that first step. And that is exactly what Kellogg promotes.

In a recent talk I had a few weeks ago, Carter Cast, Kellogg advisor and former CEO of Walmart.com, said the same thing. That “it is important to understand your purpose…to use your time at school to learn what your true north is and be sure to working towards it, even when you’re asked to change the business model.” He ended by saying, “Who cares if some people don’t believe in your idea? Do it anyways.”

Megan Kashner, founder of Benelovent.com in Chicago, reiterated the same thing on her panel at the Social Impact Conference. She shared how she worked in nonprofit from a young age and went straight into the industry after getting an MBA. And unlike the advice of her fellow panelists, she said, “You don’t have to wait. You can go work at a nonprofit right away after business school.” In short, be brave.

And it is no coincidence that both pieces of advice come from Kellogg alumni. Why – because Kellogg opens up new possibilities. Possibilities that only a great education could make available.

Don’t get me wrong. Many Kellogg students will also lead highly successful lives at traditional jobs, and that is fantastic. The world needs us to think bravely in those roles as well. We need CEOs to lead their companies where they have never gone before. We need socially-minded bankers to work on deals that could change the landscape of the industry. And we need investors to take risks on the next big company that will also provide social value. And Kellogg gives them the tools to think of new models, create new types of teams and come up with new ways to solve problems.

On the other hand, Kellogg’s new campaign gives us a platform to also be brave with our career choices. Whether it is starting a business, joining a nonprofit, or running for office, it teaches us to remember that even though making your mark on the world is hard, that with patience, commitment and courage  we can take what we learn to do really big things.

So to the graduating class of 2012 – let’s embrace the idea of how much a Kellogg Education Matters. And as we graduate, let’s reach back, convince another budding MBA to come to Kellogg too. And if you have leveraged your degree in areas where we need more MBAs — like social enterprise, entrepreneurship and government— reach back and persuade another student to do the same. If you are going into industries where we need more Kellogg alumni, reach back, hire someone from Kellogg and be a mentor for them.

Now more than ever, the world needs Kellogg students to help bridge the gap between what business is today and what business could and should be. America needs Kellogg MBAs to reach higher and dream more. And if we all agree to set a better example, not only will we succeed, but that, through Kellogg, our businesses will all become a beacon of light to business people in every corner of the globe.

So as the year ends, let’s be sure to remember how much #KelloggMatters and let’s be sure to show the world just how much #EducationMatters. That today, it gives us the privilege and opportunity to take on leading roles in society. So we should treat it as such. We should use it as a platform. A way to give back to those that helped us. And a way to improve access in our communities.  For every one of us that got into school, there are tens of thousands of people across the world who would love that same chance – the chance to take that exam we complained about. The chance to have a conversation with a fellow classmate. The chance to have a seat in a classroom as a proud Kellogg student. So let’s show the world we were the right people for those seats.

For those interested, you can learn more about the Education Matters national campaign here: www.educationmattersproject.org

MLT Support Education Matters Campaign

I spend a lot of time talking about one non-profit I am part of: Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT).  MLT is a great organization and our Education Matters campaign is working closely with them. Not only because we share a similar mission but also because MLT is one of our strongest allies.

MLT is committed to preparing minority students for careers in business by prepping them for college, graduate school and beyond. By providing students with networking opportunities and career coaching, MLT is making leadership positions available to a much more diverse group of people.

A few weeks ago we attended an MLT conference in Houston to talk about grad school with up and coming fellows as well as to talk more about the education matters campaign. At the conference, we collected videos from some MLT’s rising stars, who shared not only their own personal stories but they also answered the question that everyone answers, “why does education matter to you?”

See below for the video.

And as always, visit http://www.ml4t.org/ to learn more about how you can get involved with MLT.

Tags: education, MBA, MLT

Rosario Dawson and Voto Latino on Why Education Matters to them

Rosario Dawson is not just a beautiful actress—she also co-founded Voto Latino, a non-partisan group that advocates for Hispanic voters and voter education. She recently held her 1st annual Power Summit Conference out in Los Angeles, where she talked about voter education and bringing people in the community together. She and some of her friends/supporters were also kind enough to give their thoughts on why education matters.

This activist credits education with everything she has: “The more I know, the more choices I have, the more things I can experience and enjoy, understand, compare, the richer my life becomes,” Dawson says.

Dawson is not satisfied to just sit back and enjoy a celebrity lifestyle—rather, she uses her status to promote multiple causes and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to reach the same heights she was able to reach.

See below for her #EducationMatters video. And below that for a few other videos.

Rosario Dawson

David Hernandez

Jennifer Castilla

Steve Alvacan

Thank you Rosario and Voto Latino for sharing your ideas with us!

Cristo Rey’s 2012 VIVA Fundraiser

Just a two days from now, more hundreds of people in Chicago will come together at Millenium park to attend one of the best run events of the year.  It will be a chance where many of the attendees can support a game changing organization.  Where staff and donors can celebrate a very successful year of hard work. And where the organization is sure to have its best fundraising day of the year.  On Thursday, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School will have its 2012 annul fundraiser event VIVA:

Similar to last year’s VIVA fundraiser this one is taking place in downtown Chicago and should be a pretty good time. As a board fellow with the organization I’ll be attending the event along with all the other Cristo Rey Board members to celebrate the end of a good year.

The event will be filled with food, fun and networking. There will be a great raffle, music and announcements. There will also be high profile speakers and news coverage, just like there were last year. In fact, to learn more about the event this year CLICK HERE.  Personally, I am a big fan of what Cristo Rey is doing and look forward to staying involved and attending future fundraisers.

At Kellogg,  business students seem to be increasingly seeking jobs in the education industry and specifically at strong schools and school systems. One place to consider is Cristo Rey, who many consider to be  a pioneer in their field.

See below for a video clip from created by one alumni of the school.

Education Matters to attend 2012 US Empowered Gala

Later this week, Education Matters Project will have the pleasure of attending US Empowered’s annual gala ceremony.  Each year US Empowered hosts its annual Graduation Gala to celebrate the achievements of our Fellows and Program Directors, and offer an opportunity for community leaders to learn more about US Empowered, meet the Fellows and pledge their support.

On Wednesday, Marquis Parker and I are looking forward to joining the innovative nonprofit in welcoming the largest group of graduate to date.  The team and Board of Directors for US Empowered have worked hard to create the event so we look forward to showing our support.

Founded by Jeff Nelsen, US Empowered is “the nation’s only teacher-led college persistence program, that identifies and trains highly effective teachers to lead students attending non-selective high schools in low-income communities to enroll in and graduate from college.”

To show just how far they have come, in 2007, US Empowered served 30 students at three Chicago high schools and this year, we are working with nearly 1,000 students and 44 teachers in 20 high schools. They really are doing great work here in Chicago, and will soon be expanding to a number of other cities.

At Kellogg and other leading MBA programs,  business students seem to be increasingly seeking jobs in the education industry.  For those considering that option, I highly recommend that you consider getting to know US Empowered. It’s a great organization with a great mission, and a strong team of staff and board members.

See below for a video clip from last years gala!

Merger Article on The Education Matters Project

If you look anywhere on the web today, you’re almost guaranteed to find a story on education reform. In fact, many of my blog posts talk about the same topic. While this is not necessarily a main factor that MBA applicants use in picking a program, today business schools are spending more time and resources on their social enterprise departments. Schools like Stanford that offer the joint MBA and M.Ed. Schools like Yale, reknowned for their nonprofit recruiting. And schools like Kellogg that have an entire department dedicated to Social Enterprise.

Well just last week the latest edition of the Merger came out. Written by Medill student Nicole Koetting, this version featured an article written about the Education Matters Project. See below for the article.

———

Title: Fortune Favors the Bold

Author: Nicole Koetting

It all started when Jeremy C. Wilson read an article by Peter Thiel that said that going to college didn’t matter. It was the spring of 2011, and I was bothered by the article. Education had been very important in Wilson’s life, and he didn’t agree with Thiel’s argument that higher education was essentially useless.

“I wish I could talk to every student for five minutes to tell them, education matters; and education is worth fighting for. I know because I fought for it myself,” Wilson said  He talked with other people about the piece and Thiel’s ideas. Then, suddenly, an idea came to Wilson in a flash. He should do something about it.

Now, Wilson, along with a team of Northwestern students and a host of volunteers, has started the Education Matters Project, a non-profit organization with a pretty big mission: “To change the way humankind views the benefits of education and to help fund a better education for students who need it most.”.

Modeled after the It Gets Better campaign, the Education Matters Project website uses videos of role models and students who tell their stories and why they believe that education mattered in their lives.

The Education Matters Project’s aspirations seem to be three-fold: At the organization’s core is changing how the world views education. If everyone had equal access to receive a good education, the Education Matters Project posits, the world would be a better place.

Secondly, the Education Matters Project wants to inspire disadvantaged junior high and high school students to continue their education. “It’s always going to be easier to quit,” a “Welcome to the Education Matters Project” blog post says. “It’s always going to be easier to say no, to stay home, and to stop trying. The problem is, it’s also easier to fail than it is to succeed. That’s what makes it success. We here at Education Matters want to help you understand that working hard and getting the best education you can is critical to becoming the best version of yourself.”

Of course, it’s not that easy: even if disadvantaged high school students stayed in school and were accepted by a college, going to college costs a lot of money. Wilson and the other Education Matters Project team members understand that. Their third objective reflects that discrepancy: the organization wants to be able to give underprivileged students who want to go to college the money to be able to do it. The Education Matters Project will eventually crowd-fund scholarships for students from low-income families who cannot afford it. Donors will be able to give money to specific students through the website, and will be updated on their student’s success.

As of today, the website hasn’t officially launched yet, but the project has over 100 videos and written pieces, as well as hundreds of photos from people who say that education does matter, and those numbers are growing more every day. Wilson’s video was the first one.

Education is a very personal subject for Wilson. He grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, where the poverty rate was nearly 50% and very few people considered going to college.. Wilson’s parents were the ones who pushed him through school. Wilson says, “They imagined me and my sister getting a good education and attending the best schools in the world, even though nobody game them the same opportunity.” He noted that they jumped on a greyhound and fled Youngstown and moved to west to Arizona in search of opportunity..

They were right. Wilson ended up going to Stanford University, where he majored in Anthropology. Now, as a graduate student who knows how difficult it is for students from low-income families to go to college, he’s made it his personal mission, through the Education Matters Project, to inspire students to go to college, and fund them.

For the short term, Wilson wants the Education Matters Project to target junior high and high school students to show them the potential they can achieve if they pursue a higher education. But in the long run, he wants to make education more equal – he wants all students, whether from high-income or low-income families, to be able to go to college if they want to.

As for what the start-up organization needs right now, Wilson says, “At the heart of what we want to get is as many stories as possible. After that, we need to find a way to get the world’s attention. Because the more people that look, the more fundraising we can do.”

Wilson ended by saying, “There’s never been a more pivotal time to show the world that education still matters.”

www.educationmattersproject.org is ready to view and share

How can we fix the education system today? My readers, friends, and colleagues talk about that question all the time, and many of them ask me that same thing. To answer this question, we have to understand what’s broken and what people care about in the education system. So here’s my question right back to them: Why does education matter to you?

Over the past few weeks we’ve gone out and asked the world this single, straightforward question. To compile the responses, we’ve created a forum for people to lend their voice and a multi-media technology platform to get the word out in a meaningful way.

Our website is totally free to read, share, translate, print and, most of all, use to start an essential conversation about why education is important.

It took a lot to get it to you. We’ve gotten help from a few MBA students, law students, journalism students and undergrads. So I’m encouraging you to take a few minutes to check it out, and  after you read it, I’ll ask you to put up a story of your own.

There’s never been a more pivotal time to move our communities forward by showing how much education matters. Please help us in spreading that message.

Nominated for Clear Admit Top MBA Blog

ClearAdmit’s has become the standard in the MBA blogging world. Not only do they have one of the biggest hub of blogs aggregated but they are also useful for spotlighting where to find more information about business school. Well, just a few days ago, I found that I was nominated again for the Best of Blogging awards for 2011-2012.

For those embarking on the MBA application process or career process in general, I’d love it if you kept visiting and asking questions.  Unlike most bloggers before me, I have no plans to slow down here on JeremyCWilson.com. Instead, I plan to pick up the pace over the next few weeks and months.

Stay tuned for more great posts to come.

Good luck to everyone on the ballot.

And CLICK HERE to vote for me.

The Education Matters Project Joins Rosario Dawson and Voto Latino at Power Summit

Just a few hours from now, more than more than 300 participants will come together in downtown Los Angeles California in an event that most will consider an amazing opportunity. A chance where many of the attendees will not only leave the weekend with new friends and new ideas, but many will also leave with inspiration and hope to take action in their communities.

The Voto Latino conference that is taking place this weekend in Southern California. So I’m spending the weekend out in Los Angeles, CA along with the Education Matters Project to speak on a panel at Voto Latino’s Power Summit. As the 2012 election campaign season is under way, VotoLatino is launching their first annual conference to give participants the skills they need to organize.

Organized by Rosario Dawson and Maria Theresa Kumar VotoLatino’s goal is to empowers American Latinos to claim a better future by voting and bringing their voices into the political process.

This two-day event at the University of Southern California’s Davidson Conference Center will educate, engage and empower young Latinos from across the country to create positive change in their communities. Leaders will receive training from public officials, artists, grassroots organizers, and business leaders in new media, public speaking, activism and community organizing. Participants will also be the first to preview our new technology that will revolutionize the voter registration process.

With the election campaign in full force, there’s never been a better time to bring everyone together to discuss voting, having a voice and the education matters campaign.

Few More Days

Bringing forward a new idea or technology is not easy. Especially one that you are passionate about. And one where so many of the details make a difference.  Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working on just that. We’ve gone out personally and asked a large number of people why they care about education? And today, we are organizing their responses to you exactly what they said.

Today, we have videos and written stories from people all over the country. And people from all different backgrounds. And now we’re just days away from having a live website, where you cannot only view and read stories but also share your story with the world.

There’s never been a better time to stand up and tell the world why education matters to you?

Stay tuned for our new site where you can do just that.

Data on the Size of the Achievement Gap in the US. EVERYONE should see this

America has long been seen as the land of opportunity. The place where you can achieve anything. The country where your starting point does not have to dictate your end point. The environment, where if you work, you can reach for the stars.  In many ways, this is true. In fact, I’ve seen it happen many times over. On the other hand, the numbers also tell another story.

Just a few days ago I came across a great presentation by the Education Trust, where they summarized the lessons learn in schools districts studied in New York. Here are some of the lessons:

Over past 30 years, earnings among the lowest income families have declined—while biggest increases have occurred at the top

U.S. has the fourth-highest income inequality among OECD nations

 Median Wealth of White Families is (A) 20 X that of African Americans (B)   18 X that of Latinos

High school math achievement flat over time

High School gaps between groups are mostly wider today than in late eighties, early nineties

No matter how you cut the data, our students aren’t doing well compared to their peers in other countries

Only place we rank high? –> Inequality

Students in Poor Schools Receive ‘A’s for Work That Would Earn ‘Cs’ in Affluent Schools

African American, Latino & Native American high school graduates are less likely to have been enrolled in a full college prep track

More Classes in High-Poverty, High-Minority Schools Taught By Out-of-Field Teachers

CLICK HERE to read the document in its entirety

And special thanks to Rohit Agarwal for finding this great resource and sending it along to us.

Easter Sunday

I’m not surprised that Easter Sunday comes in early April. It’s the beginning of spring time, the flowers are starting to bloom and the sun is finally starting to come out again after being cold for months. As a result, it always feels like a time of recharging for the rest of the year, which is exactly what the Easter season symbolizes.

Today, many people around the world wil recognize Easter in some form. Some will head to church service or mass. Others will celebrate Passover with their families. And others will just go out for a walk, some around Evanston and others to the city to enjoy the Sunday morning. Many with the mission of celebrating this rebirth and renewal.

Personally, I’m taking an early morning walk today, to get outside and see Evanston. Then I’ll stop by the store and head to the gym. And then I’ll stop by two brunches to enjoy the morning with friends and family.

First, I’ll head over to a brunch sermon with the Kellogg BMA family who will celebrate the holiday at Dean Rogers place. The gathering will start around 11am and should go for about two hours. One of our very own Kellogg MBA members will deliver a brief message to the group.

After that, I will join the Kellogg Christian Fellowship (KCF) at a brunch event today.  KCF is teaming up with Catholics@Kellogg for brunch at the Celtic Knot. We will have the entire section for our gathering to enjoy fellowship with other likeminded people.

For many people at these events, and around the rest of the city, it should be a good time of rebirth, recharging and renewal, not just in the physical sense but also the spiritual sense.

To those who are going to church today, including my parents, Happy Easter. To those who will head over to mass, hopefully you enjoy that too. And to those who have been celebrating Passover this weekend, including both of my roommates, “Chag Sameach”.  To everyone else, I hope you feel renewed on this spring day.

Job Opportunity: Building Excellent Schools Seeks Chief of School Network

As you know, I often use my site to spread news about great organizations. Organizations that not only do well but that also do good. Ones that are doing what they can to make a dent in the world. And ones that value some of the same things I do.

A good friend of mine s recently passed the word about a job opportunity from a friend of mine and thought some of you might be interested. While I don’t typically use my site to post job opportunities or promotional reasons, I do like to use it to help non-profits, especially ones that I have some connection to. In this case, that organization is Building Excellent Schools.

See below for a description. See below that for more on the job role.  And drop me a line if you are interested in connecting with the school.

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Building Excellent Schools (BES) is a trailblazing nonprofit that raises the quality of urban charter schools by supporting entrepreneurial individuals to design, found, lead, and sustain schools in underserved communities.

School is Expensive

Just today, we attended a financial aid information session at the law school. Every year financial office can give their obligatory talk about how student loans. During the session, we all pulled out our loan papers and saw how much debt we had to pay back. The average amount … well let’s just say it was a lot of money. Enough to scare just about everyone into being happy they decided to take big law jobs upon graduation.

The interesting part of the whole scenario is that we feel this way, even though most of us have REALLY great jobs to walk into in the fall.  MBAs that go into banking and consulting firms Law students into high paying law firm roles.  Jobs that not only pay six figures but also provide lifestyles that the average person never even dreams of. But in spite of that, we’re still all a bit nervous about the big $100K+ number at the bottom of our loan forms.

But imagine the student that attends an expensive grad school program but doesn’t have the options we have. Imagine the student that comes out with $100K in loans but only makes $40K per year. Or the student that also comes into grad school with $100K in loans form undergrad Or worse yet, the student with six figure loans who can’t find a job.

The school systems makes it very difficult for some students to get started after graduation. For most of us, it is nearly impossible to pursue our real interests – the ones we talked about in our applications.  And for almost everyone, it also makes it really scary.

Education Matters and we have to do something about this.

** See below for a short blurb about school being expensive from Seth Godin’s recent manifesto: Stop Stealing Dreams

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It’s also not very good at doing what we need it to do. We’re not going to be able to make it much cheaper, so let’s figure out how to make it a lot better.

Not better at what it already does. Better at educating people to do what needs to be done.

Do you need a competent call-center employee? School is good at creating them, but it’s awfully expensive. Do we really need more compliant phone operators, and at such a high cost?

Given the time and money being invested, what I want to know, what every parent and every taxpayer and every student should want to know, is: Is this the right plan? Is this the best way to produce the culture and economy we say we want?

What is school for?

If you’re not asking that, you’re wasting time and money.

Here’s a hint: learning is not done to you. Learning is something you choose to do.

Things you don’t know

There are a lot of things that we don’t know. Have you ever considered making a list of them? What about making a list of the ones you don’t know but could learn if you worked at it? And ones you could start learning today?

Here are a few examples:

• How to build a website
• How a Black-Scholes calculation works
• How to get a book published
• How to make groups of friends on Facebook
• How to change your tires/change your oil/change spark plugs on your car
• How to register a company with the Secretary of State
• How to create a business plan
• How to read an accounting statement
• How to create a microfilm

Never in history has it been easier to figure out the things you don’t know.  It’s faster than ever to go on line. More people are writing about things than any time in history.  And you can find more accurate things on Google than ever. Never a better time to start learning today.

Early Voices from the Education Matters Project (Video)

Our educational system needs to be fixed. Everyone is thinking about it today. But now more than ever we need to do something about it. We need to rally around people who care and figure out a plan to take action. According to some of our early videos, I’ll share with you a few reasons why education matters to people around the world?

The skills and needs of today’s graduates are radically changing.  Our society needs to think more about the way we prepare our next generation. And to start doing that, it is important to hear the many voices who fundamentally believe in the importance of education.

Here is why education matters to some people around.

• It’s really critical to achieving you life goals.
• It represents freedom from financial stress
• It gives people opportunities they never knew existed
• It’s a great way to accelerate your mind
• It allows you to go to the next level
• It gives you option to do whatever you want
• It allows you to do things can go down in history