Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You (Event 2 of 2)
Date and Time:
Nov 4 2025 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Location:
Evanston Township High School Auditorium
Address:
1600 Dodge Ave., Evanston, IL 60201

Note: Event start time is Central Time (CT).

NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

 

View Flyer

Jeff Selingo

Journalist and New York Times bestselling author

Beth Arey

College and Career Services Coordinator at Evanston Township High School D202, Evanston, IL

Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You (Event 2 of 2)

Adolescence | Advice | Belonging | Business | Career | College | Culture | Education | Family | Parenting | Well Being | Work

BONUS BOOK GIVEAWAY of Dream School at the event, while supplies last. Book sale and signing, too. No registration required.

Attending college has long been a rite of passage for millions of teens and a bedrock of the American dream. But that well-worn path has lately taken a wrong turn, denying admission even to super-achievers and putting intolerable stress on family finances. Now, in Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for YouJeff Selingo (FAN ’20, ’21, ’22, ‘25) shifts the spotlight from how colleges pick students to how students can better pick colleges.

With test-optional policies and grade inflation leveling the playing field for applicants, getting into prestigious schools has become a kind of lottery. “Plan A” may work out, but increasingly it isn’t—so Selingo urges families to ditch the “Top 25 or bust” mindset and look beyond the usual suspects. Hidden-gem schools with incredible value and rich opportunities are waiting to be discovered.

Backed by unparalleled research—and an eye-opening survey of more than 3,000 parents—Dream School reveals what really matters in a college: strong job prospects after graduation, hands-on learning experiences, and a sense of belonging. To help students find their perfect match, Selingo highlights 75 accessible and affordable colleges that will satisfy those priorities.

Organized into three easy-to-digest sections, Dream School explains why elite college degrees turn out to matter less than you think, why many parents and students are choosing value over prestige, and how to make sure the degree really pays off.

Selingo is a New York Times bestselling author of three books on education and the job market. For more than twenty-five years, his in-depth reporting and storytelling have provided practical insight about the future of higher education and the workforce to university leaders, corporate executives, as well as students and parents.

Selingo will be in conversation with Beth Arey, the College and Career Services Coordinator at Evanston Township High School D202, Evanston, IL. At ETHS, Arey has expanded college and career programming across all grade levels, extended services to weekends and summer months, eliminated the negative stress of class rank, and strengthened access to rigorous coursework.

This event suitable for youth 12+. It will be recorded but not live streamed and will be available on FAN’s website and YouTube channel.

NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.