Rethinking College - by Karin Klein (Hardcover)

About the Book

No College Required: An Insider's Guide to Flourishing Without a Degree is a comprehensive guide to helping families navigate post-secondary career and academic alternatives for students who may not be best prepared by taking a traditional four-year college path.

Book Synopsis

"A valuable reassessment of America's educational system." --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

What if you didn't have to go to college?

You may have heard that a college degree is the only path to success. But many college graduates end up mired in debt and underemployed, working jobs that don't even require a degree. The good news? There are many promising career options for those who don't want to or can't attend college.

In Rethinking College, award-winning journalist Karin Klein sets out a new path for our country's students and their families. Klein examines why the traditional college-for-all model has been overhyped and is growing less relevant, then shares practical advice and real-world examples of exactly how others have succeeded without a four-year degree.

Discover an abundance of alternative paths, including white-collar apprenticeships, certificate programs, entrepreneurship, creative careers, residential public-service work, and more.

Klein will guide you step-by-step toward a broad range of fulfilling and well-paid careers that don't require a degree--ranging from pilots, costume designers, influencers, writers, computer programmers, corporate headhunters, film editors, and so many more. The breadth of possibilities is wider than you think!

Rethinking College is perfect for:

• Those who are unsure of their next education or career steps.
• Those looking to make a job pivot.
• Parents seeking guidance for their child.
• School counselors who want to offer their students more and better options.

Don't just go to college because everyone says you have to--find the path that's right for you. It's out there.

Review Quotes

'Young people should by all means embrace a no-four-year-college future if that's what they want. The best manual for making this decision, in my view, is by a member of the Los Angeles Times editorial board, Karin Klein, Rethinking College: A Guide to Thriving Without a Degree.'--LOS ANGELES TIMES

'Karin Klein's Rethinking College gives readers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the future...now. This isn't a book denouncing college. This is a book that allows our imaginations to test-drive professional paths that more authentically relate to the world we live in. Real-life accounts enable us to see our futures through the lens of those exploring their 'next' through non-traditional means. Klein masterfully shares her self-assessment, laying the groundwork for readers to think more intimately about the life they live and want to pursue. A must-read for anyone aiming for their tomorrow!'---- DR. ROD BERGER, HOST OF ON BALANCE

'Klein's book highlights dozens of young people who found successful and fulfilling careers outside the three options typically presented in high school -- college, skilled trades or the military. . . . The book is not just about how young people find opportunities but also how they capitalize on them and grow their careers.'--THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

'Rethinking College is especially and unreservedly recommended reading for: Those who are unsure of their next education or career steps; Those looking to make a job pivot; Parents seeking guidance for their child; School counselors who want to offer their students more and better options. Rethinking College must be considered a high value core addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Contemporary Education/Vocational Education collections.'--MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

'This is the kind of book you want to give the high schooler who's not so-called college material, or who chafes against what college has to offer. It also opens a whole world of possibility for anyone who's older, with high school long behind them.'--BOOKWORM SEZ

'High school need not be a de facto pipeline to college, according to this illuminating outing from journalist Klein... The author's reconsideration of what professional success means is thought-provoking, and while readers might raise their eyebrows at some of the career paths outlined here (including social media influencing), they'll be inspired by the colorful and often fascinating interviews with those who skipped the college degree yet found fulfillment in jobs ranging from sound design to PR. It's a valuable reassessment of America's educational system.'---- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY