Beyond the (College) Brochure

In this episode of Beyond the College Brochure, I explore a question most students and parents never think to ask: What happens when only five students graduate from your intended major?  Small academic programs can offer personal attention and outstanding educational experiences, but they can also create financial challenges for colleges. When the number of graduates in a major continues to decli...

There was a time in America when a college degree didn't need much explaining. You earned one.  You framed it.  You hung it on the wall. And everybody understood what it meant. Or at least…........ We thought we did. A college degree meant opportunity.  A better job.  A better income.  A better life. And for decades, the federal government operated on pretty much the same assumption. If an accredi...

If you were to wander through the apple orchards of Amherst, Massachusetts, you’d find a campus that has long prided itself on doing things a little differently. Founded in the mid-1960s, Hampshire College famously threw out the old playbook. No grades. No standard majors. They promised an "experimental" education where students could design their own learning, and ultimately, design their own liv...

They were learning that the most important "stats" aren't the ones on the scoreboard... they are the ones engraved in stone - at the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Taps is played every home game at 7:00 p.m.  The game stops.  Players, coaches, umpires, and fans stop in absolute quiet as Taps is played at the adjacent cemetery. This is college 'Beyond the College Brochure. Here is the link to...

The house is perfect.  The location is fabulous.  The price is right.  You are ready to sign. So, you hire someone to inspect your future home. Why not do the same thing before you sign with a college?

Buy a House without an Inspection?  If you’ve ever bought a house, you know the dance. You spend your weekends at open houses, walking across polished hardwood floors and admiring the quartz countertops. You check the "must-have" list—maybe for you, it’s a laundry room on the main level because you’re done hauling baskets up from the basement. You compare the school districts. You look at the HOA...

When a College Pause Becomes Permanent They call it the "Heart of the Martindale-Brightwood community." For nearly fifty years, Martin University in Indianapolis has stood as a unique light—a place specifically designed for the "non-traditional" student. The mother working a full-time job. The veteran looking for a new mission. It was a place that offered something few others did: free child care,...

I seem to recall that college graduation took 4 years.  I go Beyond the College Brochure to explain.

Mary and I spent 2024 answering questions students and their families have about their college decisions.  We discussed everything from majors to financial health.   From now until Mary finishes here Finance and Marketing double major at Lindenwood University (MO), we are going to journey with her.. In this episode, Mary shared what it is like to make a college decision as a student-athlete and mo...

In this episode of the Beyond the College Brochure podcast, Mary McGrath and Dr. Gary Stocker discuss the current trends in college closures, the importance of evaluating a college's financial health, and how students and families can make informed decisions during the college admissions process. They emphasize the need for transparency regarding enrollment trends and financial stability, and prov...