Best Jeff Selingo Podcasts (2025)

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157. Decoding College Admissions: Expert Insights with Jeff Selingo, Author of Dream School 40:30

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19d ago40:30

40:30

Send us a text In this episode of College Knowledge, Dave and Joe sit down with Jeff Selingo, a leading voice in higher education and author of the new book Dream School. Drawing from his decades of experience—from his early days as an intern at U.S. News & World Report in 1994 to his tenure at The Chronicle of Higher Education—Jeff unpacks the com…

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159. Navigating Elite College Admissions: Expert Insights with Jayson Weingarten 39:43

13h ago39:43

39:43

Send us a text 🎙️ In this episode of College Knowledge, hosts Dave Kozak and Joe Kerns welcome Jayson Weingarten, Senior Mission Consultant at Ivy Coach and former admissions officer at the University of Pennsylvania. Jayson brings a rare dual perspective—having worked inside one of the nation’s most selective admissions offices and now guiding fam…

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Rerun: Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige? 51:30

4d ago51:30

51:30

Jeff and Michael are joined by Mushtaq Gunja, Executive Director of the Carnegie Classification Systems and Senior Vice President at ACE, to unpack the sweeping changes to the Carnegie Classifications. They explore how the new system aims to better group institutions, highlight student access and earnings, and shift incentives across funding, accou…

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Rerun: Learning from the Swiss Apprenticeship Model 48:04

12d ago48:04

48:04

The U.S. has a lot to learn when it comes to systematizing apprenticeship. Thankfully, there are successful international models, like Switzerland’s, that we can study. Katie Caves, the Director at Switzerland’s Center on the Economics and Management of Education and Training Systems, joins the podcast to discuss the Swiss model and what can be gle…

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158. AI and Academic Integrity: Expert Insights with Stephen Cicirelli 34:15

13d ago34:15

34:15

Send us a text Join host Dave Kozak and co-host Joe Kerns (a.k.a. Joe the College Pro) for an in-depth conversation with Stephen Cicirelli, lecturer of English at St. Peter’s University. In this episode, they explore the evolving role of educators, the differences between tenure and non-tenure positions, and the growing influence of AI in academic …

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Rerun: Chips and Higher Ed: What the Federal Investment Means for Colleges 21:14

19d ago21:14

21:14

What does a community college in Idaho have to do with mounting economic tensions between the U.S. and China? A lot, actually. On this episode of Future U., Michael and Jeff dive into what the CHIPS and Science Act—the federal spending package designed to reduce the United States’ reliance on foreign manufacturers for microchips and other advanced …

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AI in the Workplace: Michael Horn Hosts WGU's Future of Work Panel 1:02:06

1M ago1:02:06

1:02:06

In this special bonus episode of Future U, Michael Horn moderates a panel discussion on the future of work and learning in the age of AI. Recorded at a Western Governors University event in Boston, the conversation features insights from industry leaders across technology, consulting, and higher education. Panelists Paul Bingham (WGU), Will Bass (f…

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156. Crafting the Perfect College Essay: Expert Advice with Alan Gelb 44:44

1M ago44:44

44:44

Send us a text In this episode of College Knowledge, Dave and Joe sit down with professional writer and college essay coach Alan Gelb to break down what makes a standout college admissions essay. From storytelling structure to showcasing authentic human qualities, Alan shares expert strategies for creating compelling personal statements. You'll als…

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Rerun: The New Student-Ready College 37:03

2M ago37:03

37:03

While college-going rates have increased over recent decades, completion rates have hardly budged. On this episode, Michael and Jeff sit down with one entrepreneur working to change that. Mike Larsson is the co-founder and CEO of Duet, an organization collaborating with an online university to provide on-the-ground coaching and physical space for s…

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Rerun: Higher Ed 101: College Budgets Explained 51:10

2M ago51:10

51:10

As colleges navigate increasing financial pressure, many struggle to balance mission with sustainability. In this episode, Jeff and Michael welcome Rick Staisloff, founder of rpk GROUP, for a crash course in how college budgets really work. From centralized vs. decentralized models to the challenges of tuition discounting, Rick breaks down the majo…

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Rerun - The Lost Boys of Higher Ed 51:02

2M ago51:02

51:02

We revisit one of the most impactful episodes from season 8, The Lost Boys of Higher Ed. Women have outnumbered men on college campuses for decades, but the divergence in postsecondary success has widened in recent years, and it is both a cause and symptom of the struggles of the modern man. Richard Reeves, author of Of Boys and Men joins the podca…

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Season 8 Wrap Up: Looking Back and Ahead 46:46

3M ago46:46

46:46

Jeff and Michael conclude the eighth season of Future U. with a one-on-one discussion of the lessons and themes from this year’s conversations. They address the range of topics covered - from the transformative effects of AI to the recent flurry of Federal executive orders to the reckoning to be done in higher education. For each, they summon the i…

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Former Governor Dishes on Connecting Work and College 34:34

3M ago34:34

34:34

In this episode, former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift joins Jeff and Michael to explore how to rebuild the broken college-to-career pipeline. Now leading Education at Work, a nonprofit that provides work-based learning opportunities for undergraduates, Swift shares how her organization supports first-generation and Pell-eligible students with p…

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Higher Ed on the Hill: Getting College Back on the Congressional Agenda 55:48

3M ago55:48

55:48

With higher education policy increasingly driven by executive action, Michael and Jeff explore why Congress has been largely absent from the conversation—and what that means for students and institutions. They’re joined by James Kvaal, former Under Secretary of Education under the Biden Administration, and Preston Cooper of the American Enterprise …

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Live from Milken: Hurdles and Hopes in Higher Education 51:23

4M ago51:23

51:23

In a special episode recorded at the Milken Global Institute, Jeff moderates a wide-ranging panel with higher education leaders including the presidents of Dartmouth, Stanford, UC San Diego, Yeshiva University, and the CEO of ETS. The conversation explores the crises and critiques facing higher ed—from campus protests and declining public trust to …

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Live from Milken: One-on-One with Bill Ackman 21:02

4M ago21:02

21:02

In this second part from the Milken Global Institute, Jeff Selingo engages in a provocative conversation with investor and Harvard critic Bill Ackman. They discuss the challenges facing elite higher education today—from DEI rollbacks and government funding threats to what Ackman describes as Harvard's financial crisis and governance failures. Ackma…

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Making Sense of the First 100 Days 51:57

4M ago51:57

51:57

In this special episode, recorded live at the ASU+GSV Summit, hosts Jeff Selingo and Michael Horn dive into the rapidly evolving higher ed landscape in President Trump’s second term. They discuss massive cuts at the U.S. Department of Education, mounting challenges around international student enrollment, and looming threats to federal research fun…

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Reporter’s Roundtable: A Quarter Century of Higher Ed Controversies 55:05

4M ago55:05

55:05

In a special crossover episode, Michael and Jeff are joined by Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Jack Stripling to discuss a recent piece by the Chronicle: a March Madness-style bracket of the most memorable higher ed controversies of the last 25 years. The trio relives infamous scandals—from Jetgate and Varsity Blues to faculty feuds, preside…

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155. Myths About Financial Aid: Debunked & Real-Life Success Stories 35:04

4M ago35:04

35:04

Send us a text 🎓💰 Financial Aid Myths: Busted! + Real Stories That’ll Blow Your Mind It’s that magical (and stressful) time—college acceptance letters and $$$ offers are rolling in! This week on College Knowledge, Dave Kak and Joe the College Pro are here to separate fact from fiction when it comes to financial aid. 💥 Think you make too much for ai…

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154. Smashing Stereotypes with Dr. Laura J. Burton: Women in Sports Leadership 38:31

5M ago38:31

38:31

Send us a text 🎙️ Get ready for a powerful episode of College Knowledge, as we sit down with the amazing Dr. Laura J. Burton—professor, researcher, and fierce advocate for gender equity in sports. From locker rooms to boardrooms, we’re tackling the tough questions about why women are still underrepresented in sports leadership—and what we can do ab…

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Building an Apprenticeship System in Indiana: How the Hoosier State is Adapting the Swiss Model 34:58

5M ago34:58

34:58

In part two of their series on apprenticeships, Jeff talks with Claire Fiddian-Green, president and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, about Indiana’s ambitious efforts to adapt lessons from Switzerland’s gold-standard model. They explore how Indiana is transforming high school graduation requirements, building industry-led talent associat…

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Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige? 50:21

5M ago50:21

50:21

Jeff and Michael are joined by Mushtaq Gunja, Executive Director of the Carnegie Classification Systems and Senior Vice President at ACE, to unpack the sweeping changes to the Carnegie Classifications. They explore how the new system aims to better group institutions, highlight student access and earnings, and shift incentives across funding, accou…

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153. Rants & Scholarships: Examining the Department of Education's Biggest Failures 31:47

5M ago31:47

31:47

Send us a text In this episode of College Knowledge, Joe the College Pro and Dave the CEO take a hard look at the U.S. Department of Education. They break down the recent FAFSA overhaul disaster, analyze the Department’s track record since its creation in 1980, and explore the systemic issues plaguing education today. From financial aid mismanageme…

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Higher Ed 101: College Budgets Explained 51:01

5M ago51:01

51:01

As colleges navigate increasing financial pressure, many struggle to balance mission with sustainability. In this episode, Jeff and Michael welcome Rick Staisloff, founder of rpk GROUP, for a crash course in how college budgets really work. From centralized vs. decentralized models to the challenges of tuition discounting, Rick breaks down the majo…

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152. Exploring Higher Ed Trends & Earth Sciences with Dr. Kristy Tiampo 1:06:25

6M ago1:06:25

1:06:25

Send us a text 🚀 Join hosts Dave Kozak and Joe The College Pro in this exciting episode of College Knowledge, where they break down the latest trends in higher education! 📚✨ From the rising number of women earning degrees to the shifting political landscape among college-educated men, they cover it all. 🌍 The episode features a fascinating conversa…

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Learning from the Swiss Apprenticeship Model 47:10

6M ago47:10

47:10

The U.S. has a lot to learn when it comes to systematizing apprenticeship. Thankfully, there are successful international models, like Switzerland’s, that we can study. Katie Caves, the Director at Switzerland’s Center on the Economics and Management of Education and Training Systems, joins the podcast to discuss the Swiss model and what can be gle…

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Building an AI-Ready College 36:58

6M ago36:58

36:58

AI is evolving at a rapid rate, and its implications for higher ed are changing in lock step. So, Michael and Jeff dove back into the topic at the Google Public Sector GenAI Live & Labs Conference with a panel of experts: Ann Krischner of CUNY and ASU, Pace University’s Marvin Krislov, and Google’s Chris Hein. They discussed the necessity of an ins…

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151. The College Admissions Hustle: What They Don't Tell You 39:21

6M ago39:21

39:21

Send us a text 🎙️ The College Admissions Hustle: What They Don’t Tell You In this episode of the College Knowledge Podcast, hosts Joe Kern and Dave Kozak explore the business side of college admissions and financial aid. Sponsored by the College Planning Network and Paradigm Financial Group, this discussion reveals how colleges operate like busines…

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A Midwest Merger: How Two Ohio Colleges Are Coming Together 42:41

6M ago42:41

42:41

Mergers aren’t easy. They demand careful analysis, difficult decisions, and tricky stakeholder management. But they are becoming increasingly necessary as dropping enrollments make going it alone less viable for more and more institutions. So, Michael and Jeff sat down with the presidents of two colleges in Ohio that are in the process of merging a…

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Accepted without Applying: The Growth of Direct Admissions 40:58

7M ago40:58

40:58

This year, thousands of students will be accepted to colleges without ever submitting a formal application. That’s because more and more schools are automatically accepting students who meet preset performance thresholds through direct admissions programs. To learn more about this growing trend, Michael and Jeff welcome Luke Skurman who is CEO of N…

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The Lost Boys of Higher Ed 50:42

7M ago50:42

50:42

Women have outnumbered men on college campuses for decades, but the divergence in postsecondary success has widened in recent years, and it is both a cause and symptom of the struggles of the modern man. Richard Reeves, author of Of Boys and Men joins the podcast to discuss the drivers of these challenges, promising interventions, and whether we sh…

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A New Era for Higher Ed? 36:54

7M ago36:54

36:54

At the turn of the new year, Jeff and Michael dive into the predictions and trends set to shape the landscape of higher education in 2025. They discuss how this may be a year of reckoning for colleges and where changes will be required to make long-needed improvements. They dig in on infrastructure adjustments, reimagined degree programs, and what …

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Making "Job Moves" 41:06

8M ago41:06

41:06

On this episode, Jeff sits down with one of the authors of Job Moves: 9 Steps To Making Progress in Your Career, Future U.’s very own Michael B. Horn. The two discuss the lessons that the book, which offers research-based guidance to individuals searching for new work, holds for students and the colleges that serve them. They then dive into discuss…

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The Resiliency of Remedial Education 37:22

8M ago37:22

37:22

More than a decade ago, a wave of research pointing to the inefficacy of remedial education was followed by a massive investment in rethinking how we prepare students who need extra support to access college. So why, after all that, does remedial ed still play such a big role on college campuses today? To help us tackle that question, we’re joined …

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Chips and Higher Ed: What the Federal Investment Means for Colleges 20:56

9M ago20:56

20:56

What does a community college in Idaho have to do with mounting economic tensions between the U.S. and China? A lot, actually. On this episode of Future U., Michael and Jeff dive into what the CHIPS and Science Act—the federal spending package designed to reduce the United States’ reliance on foreign manufacturers for microchips and other advanced …

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150. DEI in Higher Education: Breaking Myths and Building Inclusion with Dr. Amer Ahmed 50:44

9M ago50:44

50:44

Send us a text 🎙️ Welcome to the College Knowledge Podcast! Sponsored by the College Planning Network and Paradigm Financial Group, hosts Dave Kozak and Joe Kerins bring you another impactful episode packed with insights into the ever-changing landscape of higher education. 🔍 Episode Highlights: 1️⃣ College Confidential: NCAA Division 1 scholarship…

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Developing a Tech Mindset at the Leadership Table 44:24

9M ago44:24

44:24

Technology is an increasingly important element of everything that colleges do, yet it remains a distinct and separate function at too many schools. Jeff visited the Educause Conference, focused on tech in higher ed, to chat with college leaders about how they are leveraging IT on their campuses. They discuss best practices in bridging the tech-aca…

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How One Regional University Is Growing 53:26

9M ago53:26

53:26

Regional public universities have been hit harder than most colleges by recent enrollment decreases. On this episode, Michael and Jeff sit down with President Jonathan Koppell of Montclair State University, a regional that has bucked this trend, to learn more about their success. They dig in on lessons Koppell learned as a dean at ASU, the college’…

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The New Student-Ready College 36:23

10M ago36:23

36:23

While college-going rates have increased over recent decades, completion rates have hardly budged. On this episode, Michael and Jeff sit down with one entrepreneur working to change that. Mike Larsson is the co-founder and CEO of Duet, an organization collaborating with an online university to provide on-the-ground coaching and physical space for s…

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149. Is This Rocket Science? Notre Dame TurboMachinery Lab 52:56

10M ago52:56

52:56

Send us a text 🎙️ Welcome to the College Knowledge Podcast, sponsored by the College Planning Network and Paradigm Financial Group! In today’s episode, hosts Dave Kozak and Joe Kerins sit down with Dr. Joshua Cameron, Director of the Notre Dame TurboMachinery Laboratory. They explore the groundbreaking research in aerospace engineering, making this…

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Visiting Western Governors University: Growing and Evolving Pathways for Educating Teachers 53:29

10M ago53:29

53:29

On this episode of the Future U. Campus Tour, Michael and Jeff sit down with leaders from Western Governors University to learn about innovations around the university, with special attention paid to those at WGU’s fast-growing School of Education. They discuss the expansion of work-based learning with President Pulsipher and Provost Hills McBeth, …

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148. AI, Math, and the Next Big Thing at Penn 58:39

10M ago58:39

58:39

Send us a text 🎙️ Welcome to the College Knowledge Podcast, sponsored by the College Planning Network and Paradigm Financial Group! 🎓 In this episode, hosts Dave Kozak and Joe Kerins sit down with Dr. Robert Ghrist, the Andrea Mitchell University Professor of Electrical & Systems Engineering and Mathematics at the University of Pennsylvania, and th…

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Cutting College Costs, Board Tensions, & Consultant-mania 39:33

10M ago39:33

39:33

On this episode, Michael and Jeff riff through a range of topics. Among them: how no constituency is actually in favor of cost cutting on college campuses; whether consultants can play any productive role in higher ed; and how Disney’s succession drama holds many lessons for boards of trustees at colleges and universities. This episode is made with…

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The Seismic Impact of College Athletics 58:22

11M ago58:22

58:22

The impact of college athletics is felt throughout institutions, but too often sports are considered separate from the rest of higher ed. On this episode, Michael and Jeff connect the dots between recent changes to college athletics and the campus-wide ripple effects they could have. They are joined by Matt Brown, author of the college sports newsl…

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147. ROTC Scholarships with Lt. Col. Rob Kirkland 59:52

11M ago59:52

59:52

Send us a text 🎙️ Welcome to the College Knowledge Podcast, sponsored by the College Planning Network and Paradigm Financial Group! In today’s episode, host Joe Kerins has an enlightening conversation with retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Rob Kirkland, founder of ROTC Scholarship Consulting. They dive into the unique challenges and rewards of t…

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146. Financial Aid & Student Success with Dr. Latisha Addison 58:50

11M ago58:50

58:50

Send us a text 🎙️ Welcome to the College Knowledge Podcast sponsored by the College Planning Network and Paradigm Financial Group! 🎓 In this episode, hosts Dave Kozak and Joe Kerins sit down with Dr. Latisha Addison, Executive Director of Student Financial Success at Texas Southern University (TSU), for an insightful discussion on navigating studen…

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AI Goes to College: In the Classroom and Beyond 1:02:01

11M ago1:02:01

1:02:01

Much of the buzz around artificial intelligence centers on its potential to transform the college of tomorrow, but there are many schools making meaningful change with this technology today. On this episode, we go deep on the applications of AI from recruitment to instruction to supporting post-grad success. We sit down Lev Gonick, Chief Informatio…

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145. Financial Aid and the FAFSA 53:00

11M ago53:00

53:00

Send us a text 🎙️ Welcome to the College Knowledge Podcast, sponsored by the College Planning Network and Paradigm Financial Group! 🎓 In this episode, hosts Dave Kozak and Joe Kerins sit down with Frances McKeown from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) to dive deep into the world of financial aid and how families can naviga…

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Searching for Fit: The Impacts of AI in Higher Ed 56:25

12M ago56:25

56:25

On this episode, Jeff and Michael tackle the question everyone is asking: how will AI transform higher ed? For help in finding the answer, they turn to bestselling author and professor of computer science at Georgetown University, Cal Newport. They discuss AI’s academic and operational implications, its ethical and practical considerations, and the…

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144. Careers in Math: Insights from UF Professor Kevin Knudson 1:08:08

12M ago1:08:08

1:08:08

Send us a text 🎙️ Welcome to the College Knowledge Podcast, sponsored by the College Planning Network and Paradigm Financial Group! 🎓 In this episode, hosts Dave Kozak and Joe Kerins sit down with Kevin Knudson, professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Florida, for a fascinating discussion on the world of mathematics and the …