In this episode, Thomas and Kihong investigate the underlying dynamics of the so-called “elite” U.S. colleges and the post-college implications of such branding. They share insightful and surprising statistics - hope you enjoy this episode. Please leave comments or share thoughts directly.

We appreciate any reactions. :)

(5:30) By how much did the “elite” colleges expand vs. the rest in the last ~30 years?

(10:00) Scarcity, brand, and satellite campuses

(18:00) Open-sourcing education

(25:00) Financial aid of “elite” colleges

(29:30) The UC system - the one that worked

(33:00) Inequality of education through privatization

(40:00) What a high school senior should really think about

(45:00) The great filtering - life after college

(49:00) Why Kihong wanted to do this episode so much

If you want to learn more about this topic through different channels, check out:

Freakonomics -

Episode 500: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6R2fvzdzmLRi3THmiWMY6U?si=1919a3b90249453d

Episode 501: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mDKTQ6iuiUg59Ghev2WOf?si=fae3dc4252a64546

Episode 502: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5eV24SuhVG9NFP2bnzvibf?si=e7bb77861bb34725

Episode 503: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6kBXTSJQcDaObF0QmwOAYG?si=b8442a1cd73e4cc9

Malcom Gladwell on elitism, dining, and colleges: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0sB5WgKiAyvFkkecvItEki?si=521680c3aa2a4c5e

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal