In this episode, I am thrilled to welcome Nat Greene to the podcast. Nat has accelerated the careers of hundreds of professionals of all ages as a consultant, coach, and business leader. Today, we’ll be diving into some thought-provoking topics around education, including why the current system is broken, the misconceptions about the college application process, and innovative solutions like Nat’s new venture, Futures Forge. This conversation is going to challenge some of the long-held beliefs about higher education. I invite you to listen with an open mind and consider all possibilities.
About Nat Greene
Nat has accelerated the careers of hundreds of professionals of all ages as a consultant, coach, and business leader. Futures Forge is inspired by the success Nat had developing recent grads from Ivy+ schools in the firm he founded, Stroud International. Stroud’s success in helping Global 1000 businesses and the rapid learning of early employees, Stroud won “Best Small Consulting Firm” 7 times in 8 years.
Episode Highlights
- College is failing our kids
- Education is almost a meaningless word
- Non-college paths are not considered as valuable
- The college selection process is damaging and destructive
- College isn’t the only way to success
- The best school for you is the best school for you
- The anxiety epidemic continues to rise
- There’s always a space for everyone to go to college
- Hundreds of colleges will be closing in the next 5 years
- There is very little evidence that going to college makes any difference
- There is less difference between going to a particular college versus a college one or two levels down
- Colleges are not measuring value-add
- Most of the people who go to college are in the top half of their graduating class
- There’s no evidence that a person teaching you at a higher-rated school is any better or more committed than the person at a lower-rated school
- We need to help our kids understand the truth about college admissions
- The problem is a systemic one
- The science says that getting a higher GPA in high school does not have any predictive value on how you do in life
- Rather than test scores, focus on helping young adults develop other traits and skills that lead to success
- What’s the purpose of college?
- For most people, college is the most expensive discretionary spending other than buying a home
- What personal attributes lead to success?
- What skills do businesses want?
- What we need is failure all over the place
- Futures Forge is creating a one-year comprehensive course as a replacement for college
- Developing skills that science says will lead to success
- Creating a funnel built on what employers need
- The focus should be on getting better, not on what “looks good”
- Demonstrate the skills that you want your children to have
- For parents who feel unsure about this alternative path, do your research
- If you agree that the system is broken, find a way to change it and help make it better