Some ACTUAL College Research to Jumpstart YOUR College Research

Some of you have taken my advice and begun to do some initial research on college. That is good ... very good. That is an extremely productive use of your time and energy. At the same time, I do not want any of you WASTING valuable time or energy just spinning your wheels?or falling for college "click-bait." Colleges are RIDICULOUSLY BAD corporate?citizens - basically denizens of parasites?motivated by money,?prestige and fear. I wish I was kidding.?

BUT ... there ARE some great programs out there. The purpose of this post is to get you pointed in the right direction.

As I have stated many times,I really don’t have a “favorite” school or a “favorite” program. Almost every school has at least some strengths and every single school has some weaknesses. That said, I DO keep a close watch on (and remain in very close communication with) some programs that I KNOW to be outstanding ...and to which NOT NEARLY ENOUGH of my students apply.

There is so much information out there - lots of it conflicting and lots more of it ABSOLUTE NONSENSE? - regarding “emerging fields” and “in demand” areas of study. More troubling is the unfortunate fact that far too many colleges market themselves as one-stop shops that can effectively train students in every major under the sun. The truth is that most colleges – yes MOST colleges - are generally only nationally competitive in a fairly (and frighteningly) narrow range of majors and specializations.

Let me demonstrate what I mean by way of by means of an example:

The University of Miami is among the very best undergraduate institutions in the nation at producing candidates for AMA-certified medical schools. Truly, it is no exaggeration to say Miami is one of the very best pre-med schools in America. Miami’s students perform as well as or better on the MCAT than do students at EVERY college in America . At the same time, the University of Miami is also now really, really bad at producing candidates for top ABA-certified law schools. The average Miami alum scores a 153 on the LSAT, a lower average score than that achieved by graduates of University of Maryland Eastern Shore … a TINY college best known for its women’s bowling team. This is not to rag on The U. This example merely?highlights the? exact type of disparity of outcomes in different programs is repeated at more than 90% of the colleges in America. My hope in reminding all of you of this today is that a few of you (it is always only a few who actually get the message) will take the time to do some real research, engage in real analysis of the data, and make choices that enhance your careers and your lives rather than simply making lazy, unimaginative choices that saddle you with the debts – and the regrets – that so often accompany poorly-planned college selection. Over the years, I have spent thousands (YES, THOUSANDS!!!) of hours researching institutions and their academic outcomes. What follows is something I have shared with you before – but most of you were “too busy” to consider. These are the programs that I believe to be the benchmark programs in American higher education – the programs by which others are to be measured. My purpose is, again, to direct you toward programs that provide students with marketable skills and real, rewarding career opportunities.

In compiling this list, I have deliberately disregarded the idiocy that is the USNews rankings and focused almost exclusively on the insights of the people who know colleges best: the employers who interview and hire (or choose not to hire) the graduates that colleges currently produce.

I hope you do take the time to give this list of programs your serious consideration (ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN STEM MAJORS)

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The List: 10. Packaging Engineering – Rutgers University Increased concern for the environment has created greater demand for packaging engineers. In fact, current demand for engineers in this field exceeds supply by several orders of magnitude … which will, of course, push salaries ever higher in both the short and long term. As companies strive to “go green” they seek innovative, sustainable, lightweight packaging that can minimize the amount of fuel used and greenhouse gases emitted during transportation. Rutgers offers the nation’s ONLY packaging program housed in an engineering school. Moreover, students in ANY major who complete required coursework may earn a Certificate in Packaging Engineering. In terms of dollars and cents, packaging is the world's THIRD LARGEST industry in terms of gross sales. Moreover, because the industry employs more people than any other in the US, the growing need for packaging engineers continues to drive demand for trained professionals. This makes RU graduates very attractive to employers across the country - and around the world – who need the unique skill set the program develops in its students. 9. Logistics and Supply Chain Management – Michigan State University Supply chain management integrates topics from the fields of manufacturing operations, purchasing, transportation, and physical distribution into a unified program. The MSU curriculum offers integration among these critical, value-adding components to enhance the global competitiveness of innovative companies. The objectives of the MSU program are to provide students with a comprehensive background in each area and to allow students to pursue concentrations within their areas of interest. Michigan State’s program, which is considered the BEST IN THE WORLD, emphasizes: an integrated perspective that blends theory with practice, knowledge-based leadership training focused on emerging strategic issues, and societal impact through research, outreach, students, and alumni. MSU logistics professionals are actively sought after by the top recruiters in the field and most candidates emerge from the program with several job offers. 8. Law School Preparation Institute – University of Texas – El Paso In truth, “Pre-Law” is simply a designation of intent rather than an actual curriculum or program of study. Unlike the American Medical Association, the American Bar Association has not established a required “core” of courses that undergraduates must take in order to be admitted to professional school. You can major in anything and still attend an?ABA-accredited law school. That said, the LSPI at UTEP is something different and, by any objective measure, something truly special in American higher education. UTEP's Patricia and Paul Yetter Law School Preparation Institute (LSPI) was initiated in 1998 to help prospective law students develop critical thinking skills and sustainable study habits and to guide them throughout their legal education. The animating principle of the program is to better prepare students to succeed by presenting them with a rigorous workload focusing on academic thinking skills necessary for the pursuit of a legal education. More particularly, the LSPI program: introduces students to legal thought, research and writing; develops analytical and critical reading and writing skills; guides students in selecting and applying to law schools; and gives students the opportunity to speak with law school students and faculty as well as prominent members of the legal community. The success of the program is unparalleled in American academics. Between 1998 and 2018, seventy four percent (74%) of UTEP’s LSPI graduates were admitted to law schools ranked in the US News Top 100, and an unheard of thirty three percent (33%) were admitted to the nation’s top 15 law schools. No other undergraduate institution in the country can match those numbers…not one. 7. Public Relations and Strategic Communications – Southern Methodist The shift from public relations to strategic communication has led to several new realities for public relations as a profession and for the way that it is taught. SMU is one of the few schools in the nation that has grasped this reality without succumbing to the mere use of buzzwords as a lazy substitute for real education. The SMU program recognizes that successful managers of strategic communications are required to do more than engage in the technical skills of writing, production and promotion. Though central to their professional growth, PR pros must now pair writing and technical competency? with the ability to develop, coordinate and evaluate strategic communication messages and campaigns across multiple communication channels and contexts. The public relations professional is a communication strategist able to work with colleagues in the disciplines of marketing, advertising, journalism, human resources, finance and legal affairs. There is a HUGE NEED in the industry for graduates who are excellent writers, thinkers and advocates, broadly educated and technologically astute. Organizations are looking for individuals who are able to conduct research, strategically position an organization to internal and external constituencies and emerge as valued counselors, decision makers and leaders. The interdisciplinary major in Public Relations and Strategic Communications at Southern Methodist University is designed to prepare students for this new reality. The program prepares students to create and manage multi-media communication campaigns in support of the mission, values, brand and strategic objectives of a corporate, political, or non-profit organization, institution or client. Through coursework across advertising, communication studies and journalism, students gain both the strategic and practical skills necessary to engage in the art and practice of public relations. Coursework includes account and message management, multimedia writing, technology, media skills, research and metrics, communication law, ethics and public relations campaign development. 6. Public Administration – George Mason University A few years ago, real estate in and around the District of Columbia was generally affordable. Now it is among the most expensive real estate markets in the word. Why? The growth of government – particularly at the senior management level – has caused the DC metroplex population to explode. This growth is not limited to just DC and Northern Virginia. The federal government continues to expand, bringing more and more highly-paid professionals onto its payroll. And if you’re looking for job security, when was the last time you heard of the government instituting layoffs? There are of course a great many universities that offer undergraduate programs in Public Administration, but George Mason has two factors that make it a solid option. First, its campus’s close proximity to Washington DC affords students the opportunity to obtain internships (frequently, paid internships) in the various agencies and policy organizations in and around the nation’s capital. Second, and more importantly, George Mason has undertaken affirmative steps to attract and maintain one of the best, most pragmatic Public Administration faculties in all of American higher education. These men and women have a genuine commitment to teach undergraduates in both the practice and theory of American government – a commitment that is, sadly, almost unheard of at many top colleges. More importantly, the faculty is refreshingly devoid of the sort of agenda-driven indoctrinators who view the classroom as propaganda platforms. The proof of the efficacy of the program lies in the success that George Mason Public Administration graduates have had at securing jobs at the highest levels of government and at some of the top public-sector nonprofit organizations in the nation.

5. Financial Engineering – Montana State University Financial engineers are commonly employed in banking, corporate finance, securities, insurance, manufacturing, agricultural businesses, and other industries that require sophisticated financial management skills. To remain competitive, regional industries as well as national and international firms will employ financial engineers because of the increased complexity and sophistication of business risk management. Due to their rigorous training, the demand for financial engineering graduates is high with a forecasted growth rate of 18 to 20% annually over the next seven years, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

The Bachelor of Science in Financial Engineering at Montana State is a multidisciplinary program that is designed to instruct students both on the creation of new financial economic instruments (such as derivatives and securitized debt) and on methodologies for combining existing instruments to manage risk, identify and exploit strategic business opportunities, manage financial resources and access innovative capital markets. Modern financial management is basically a question of identifying, managing and, in many cases, commoditizing risk. Successful market, credit, and production risk management requires complex financial economic modeling and analysis. The Montana State FE program, which has a curriculum that is comparable to that offered at such colleges as Princeton and Stanford, is designed to provide students with the necessary tools to manage a business’s financial risks. The Montana State program thus exposes its participants to rigorous training in financial economics, engineering mathematics, and actuarial methods. In essence, FE majors are trained in mathematics similar to engineering but expanded to include more statistics and probability theory. In addition, participants receive training in financial economics with a foundation in classical economic theory and markets as well as training in software engineering and modeling 4. Agricultural Operations Management – University of Florida Technological innovations, both biological and technical, in commercial agriculture have vastly increased demand for graduates in Agricultural Operations Management. The program at UF provides a solid foundation in the area of technical management. The AOM program at the University of Florida is a multidisciplinary, integrating expertise in agricultural sciences, applied technology and business management. More importantly, because the program teaches both business and technical skills and provides students with the tools to apply those skills directly to a multitude of commercial enterprises, UF AOM graduates have been actively pursued by firms in a wide array of industries, ranging from building materials to environmental structures to citrus processing to commercial nurseries Students focus on the application of technology used in agriculture and the integration of business management concepts in the commercial, agriculture and food industries. The program provides graduates with the ability to identify system problems, formulate solutions, evaluate the impact of alternatives (including social and economic dimensions), and then implement best practices. Despite the perception that we live in a world that is driven solely by the demands of the Internet and complex software, the reality is that agriculture remains, by a huge margin, the largest business sector in the world. This makes sense…everyone has to eat. Well-trained, sophisticated managers of agricultural enterprises will be in high demand so long as people want food. The University of Florida program in AOM produces exactly that sort of well-trained and sophisticated agricultural managers. 3. Music Engineering Technology – University of Miami The Music Engineering Technology program at the University of Miami Frost School of Music was the first of its kind in higher education. The program is, in fact, the standard by which the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) accredits other such programs around the United States. The Music Engineering Technology program is designed for students who desire a career in music recording, film and video production, audio equipment and software design, sound reinforcement, broadcasting, or studio design and installation. Students completing the undergraduate program earn a Bachelor of Science degree and can choose a minor in electrical engineering (hardware study), or computer engineering (software study). Combining the study of music with technology ensures that graduates are proficient audio engineers as well as accomplished musicians. The program at the University is intense and rigorous, but its graduates are in high demand and are among the most important contributors in the entire entertainment industry. While clearly designed for a select group of candidates, the program does provide unparalleled opportunities for both artistic and professional development to its candidates. 2. Sales – Ohio University Forget the old stigma associated with high-pressure salesmen and sleazy stockbrokers. The field of sales has evolved into a complex form of business best characterized as “relationship management.” There is a science to sales, and some schools have developed programs to enhance the skill set necessary to excel in the field. Ohio University has done it better than all of the rest. Participants in the Schey Sales Program – which is open to ALL majors - are exposed to all aspects of a successful career in corporate sales. More importantly, sales majors are required to devote considerable effort to developing their written and oral communication skills - tools that are crucial for success in the business world. The strength of the program lies in five key components: 1) Career Development Workshops, which gives candidates an opportunity to ask questions of current sales professionals; 2) MBTI Personality Assessments, which are provided for all candidates to assist in career planning and development; 3) Etiquette Dinners, which provide candidates the opportunity to learn all the ins and outs of dinner etiquette in a professional environment; 4) Communication Competency Workshops, which are aimed at helping improve candidates' abilities to communicate effectively in all business settings, from meetings to social media to social interactions; and 5) StrengthsFinders and Chally Assessments, which let candidates know themselves and actually understand what their strengths and preferences mean in a professional setting. In effect, Shey candidates receive rigorous academic training, professional mentoring and practical experience all at once. Consequently, they emerge prepared to contribute at the professional level right away. For that reason, Shey graduates are among the most sought-after job applicants in the United States. 1. Actuarial Science – Xavier University

Actuarial Science allows decision makers to assess and manage risk through the use of mathematical and statistical methodologies. Actuarial professionals work with and for insurance and financial firms as well as government agencies. Demand for such professionals is high, and it is growing. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of actuaries is expected to increase by 21 percent through 2023, the fastest rate of growth among all occupations. The Xavier program is particularly intriguing for several reasons. Like most, the four-year program includes traditional foundational studies as well as preparation and completion of the first two actuarial exams and preparation for a third. More importantly, Xavier’s program incorporates the strengths of its Department of Mathematics and Department of Computer Science into its Actuarial curriculum. That technology, particularly the use of the latest developments in solving actuarial science problems, forms such an integral part of the program provides Xavier students with a distinct competitive professional advantage. So ... THIS is what ACTUAL college research looks like. No "image" crap, No, name-dropping, just FACTS.?

START. DOING. THIS ... or just enroll in bartending school ... except you, Gary ... you don't just have the people skills.?

Best,

SEAN