The Book
Rethink what matters in the college search.
The College Search, Redefined gives students and families a practical framework for evaluating how well a college will prepare students for what comes after graduation.
Buy the BookA different way to think about the college search
College isn't the finish line.
It's time to redefine the college search.
Choosing a college isn't only about where you'll spend the next four years.It's about finding a school that will prepare you for what comes after them.
The College Search, Redefined
Don't just ask where your student can get in. Ask where they'll be prepared to go after graduation.
Choosing a college is one of the biggest educational and financial decisions a family will make. But acceptance is only the beginning.
The College Search, Redefined gives students and parents a practical way to evaluate colleges through a different lens: how well will this school prepare me for life and work after graduation?
Drawing on more than 25 years in higher education, Michael Griffin introduces the Four Components of Career Readiness and the Eight Signs of a Career-Ready School, giving students and families a framework for looking beyond rankings, reputation, and traditional ideas of fit.
Buy the BookInside the book
Four Components of Career Readiness
Eight Signs of a Career-Ready School
A different way to evaluate the college experience
The questions we know to ask
Most students and families know what to ask about college.
Can I get in?
Can we afford it?
Do I like the campus?
How far is it from home?
Does it have my major?
Can I see myself here?
But there's another question that deserves a place at the table.
What will this college help me become prepared to do after I graduate?
The traditional college search puts a lot of attention on getting into college. Mike believes families should spend more time investigating what happens once a student gets there.
What opportunities will they have to gain experience? How will they develop the skills employers need? Will career preparation begin early or wait until senior year? What support exists for internships, career exploration, networking, and the transition from college to work?
Getting in matters. What happens after that matters, too.
Michael Griffin
Meet Michael Griffin
He's spent 25+ years seeing the college search from both sides of the desk.
Michael Griffin has spent more than 25 years working in higher education, with experience spanning admissions, enrollment, retention, financial aid, and advising.
In 2012, he founded admission2college and began working directly with students and families navigating one of the biggest educational and financial decisions they'll make.
Over the years, he noticed something. Families were spending enormous amounts of time figuring out where a student could get in, but far less time investigating what those colleges would actually do to prepare that student for life after graduation.
That observation eventually became The College Search, Redefined.
Mike's work is ultimately about helping students and families see the college decision differently, and ask better questions before making it.
About Mike
College Counseling
Put a different approach to work in your college search.
Get personalized guidance from Mike as you navigate college selection, admissions, and the decisions that come with them.
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