1.2 million Students Will Enroll in College Next Year & More Than 360,000 Will Drop Out | Here’s One Way to Avoid This Happening to You

You are desperately trying to decide which college to attend and need to do this quickly, but you can’t figure out how to decide which college will be right for you.

When in doubt, use the Rule of Narcissus to help you decide.

In case your mythology is rusty, here’s a quick summary:

The Greek myth of Narcissus tells of the tragic death of a beautiful young man who becomes totally absorbed in looking at himself in a pool of water. He eventually drowns trying to touch and possess his own image.

The term narcissism comes from this myth and is the perfect word to describe many colleges.

The Rule of Narcissus

Check out any college webpage and look to see what they focus on:

• Does the college showcase the students and student outcomes?
• Does the college stare lovingly at its own reflection and recount how wonderful they are?

Check out Stanford’s webpage and all that is featured is a picture of its beautiful campus.

Check out UC Berkeley and the headline is “Best Graduate Programs shine in US Rankings.”

But what about the students? Don’t they matter?

Schools that Focus on Student Outcomes

For those schools focused on students, check out William & Mary, Tulane, or Johns Hopkins. Each of those schools focuses on its students and their outcomes.

The more the webpage and corporate communications are about itself and not about its students, should be a good sign of where you fit in that college’s financial ecosystem.

Before you decide which college to attend, ask yourself these questions:

• Are students the focus or just pawns used for more lucrative ventures?
• Is the college selling you on their amazing features, or are they selling you the benefits of attending their university?

While this isn’t the only method to select a college, you can add it to your list of pros or cons.