Opportunity, ease, encouragement, and shame: A short course in pitching for-profit education
Chronicle of Higher Education, (2006)19.Abstract
To better understand the recruiting techniques used by for-profit education companies, the author, recently conducted a minor investigation of his own as part of a broader research program that aims to document examples of corruption and duplicity across the gamut of higher-education institutions. He assumed the identity of a 31-year-old high-school graduate who, fed up with his current job, dreams of receiving an M.B.A. and becoming a corporate executive. The premise of the experiment was simple: How would the colleges respond to a student like him? Would they discuss the considerable amount of time, energy, and money necessary to pursue such a goal? Would they speak frankly about the need for professional experience? How would they assess the author's prospects for success? What kind of advice or aid would they offer? Anyone interested in pursuing a professional career needs a realistic picture of the financial risks involved, as well as the time, patience, and hard work required for success. The author found that many for-profit colleges are offering just the opposite; often, when students ask for advice, they receive only praise and support. So-called guidance counselors promote the flexibility of their programs while ignoring the inevitable sacrifices required in the pursuit of an education. They discuss the ease of repaying student loans rather than the psychological distress of going deep into debt. They inflate the high hopes of many students who may be unlikely to achieve the promised successes. Students need more protection from the misleading sales pitches of some for-profit institutions. The author suggests that although tightly regulating the wording and demeanor of recruiters would be difficult, stricter federal enforcement of existing laws would help students make the distinction between having their feet planted firmly on solid ground or high atop a bubble.