EP. 461

One of the men I most admire in the world is back on The School of Greatness.

“Asking for permission is asking for denial.”

If you listened to the podcast 3 years ago, way back in its beginner days, you’ll definitely remember Adam Braun‘s first appearance on the show.

At the time, Adam was the CEO of Pencils of Promise, the for-purpose organization I love and am on the advisory board of.

Fast forward three years later and Adam has moved onto a new venture, also involving massive impact through education, but focusing on issues closer to home.

He just launched an amazing new alternative to college he is calling MissionU, and I wanted him to come on the podcast to get the word out.

We spent a lot of the episode discussing the major issues with the current higher education system, and then Adam outlined the brilliant solution he has been working on for the past couple of years.

I am so inspired by what Adam has created with this new solution, I can’t wait to share it with everyone.

Since I am so passionate about quality, affordable education for everyone on the planet, I am proud to bring you another powerful conversation with Adam Braun in Episode 461.

Some Questions I Ask:

“Always make the little decisions with your head and the big ones with your heart.”

Click to Tweet

Why did you shift your focus from supporting education abroad to education here at home? (2:34)
Why are kids still going to college when they know it doesn’t guarantee them a job like it used to? (9:47)
What are the most important qualifications you are looking for in applicants for MissionU? (12:19)
What are all the things that are broken about the higher education system? (17:12)
Will you send your kids to traditional college if they want to go? (34:23)
Do you think traditional universities will ever go out of business? (37:41)
How can people think like problem solvers instead of waiting to be told what to do? (45:54)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Why a traditional 4 year college education isn’t a good idea anymore (6:44)
How many students actually graduate college in 4 years (8:42)
What standardized tests actually tell about someone (15:12)
What 91% of college freshman say is their number one reason for going to university (20:06)
Why online education by itself is still a challenge for most students (22:09)
How becoming a father changes your priorities (30:25)
The week by week breakdown of the MissionU one-year college alternative program (41:45)
Plus much more…

Also Mentioned on This Show...

Get $500 off your tuition payback by using the code “greatness” when you apply to MissionU!

Music Credit: Pixel Party by Vexento

Did you enjoy the podcast?
Let me know in the comments!

Comments

Kathryn says
April 6, 2017 at 12:32 pm
Even though I’ve completed my Bachelor’s, this looks amazing!
Marta Krzeminska says
April 10, 2017 at 7:11 am
Just a comment on higher education: it’s free in most CEE countries, which is not to say the system is ideal or prepares for the work market at all. Public unis usually are much harder to get into and enjoy a very (unreasonably) high reputation in comparison to the private ones. It is considered that you pay for education if you are “too stupid to get into the public uni” (at least that’s how it was in my days). Even IF the private schools teach higher level, or practical skills (I know no data on that), that’s the common perception. Due to all that, people are expected to have MA’s — the concept of having just a BA is very new. Many people would even have more than one BA, as a way to up their chances on the job market.
As far as I know Scotland has free higher education too. In the UK, it is easy to get a loan for tuition fees (not for living though) and it is only repayable once you earn above a certain minimum threshold (which will never happen for me with my startup salary #fuckthesystem), and I think if you are not able to do it in X years they just cancel it (labelling you a failure of the system? haha). I wouldn’t be surprised if they (already had?) removed the last rule as probably they WILL stop making their money back pretty soon, considering the “usability’ of the education provided.
[Am I too old to go to MissionU? Please someone teach me life…]

Adam Braun