If the first thing you did when you got your hands on a copy of Jeff Selingo’s latest book, Dream School, was flip to the appendix to see the new “It” colleges, you’re missing the point. The truth is any one of those colleges might not be a “Dream School” for every student. They’re only examples.
I recently co-hosted a presentation by / discussion with Occidental College (“Oxy”). Afterwards, I put Oxy to the “Dream School” test.
Selingo’s 4 Key Criteria
- A Supportive start
- Easy connections
- Real job experience
- Good ROI: Value over prestige
I came up with some pretty compelling evidence for Oxy under each of the four criteria. Here are a few examples:
- Supportive start – Oxy’s core curriculum includes 2 semesters of their First-Year Seminars.
- Easy connections – Oxy’s student body is all undergraduates, with all classes capped at 50 students, making professors easily accessible.
- Real job experience – All faculty receive a budget for experiential learning, and the city of Los Angeles serves as an extended classroom, with students interacting with civic and industry leaders regularly as part of their coursework.
- Good ROI: Value over prestige – (2024-2025) Ave. need-based aid for freshman / all students is of $60,045 / $60,015, helping take a sizable chunk out of the ~$95,000 cost of attendance. (Sources: Occidental College Common Data Set, website) Median earnings after graduation are $68, 467.(Source: College Scorecard)
And its liberal arts core curriculum means students will graduate with the critical thinking, analytical thinking, and writing skills that are so important as the world adapts to AI; as well as the foundation to be lifelong learners.
Is Occidental College a “Dream School” for you?
Only you can decide.
See how Oxy measured up, and get ideas for how you can use the “Dream School” lens for your college list.
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