The College Cartel with Sahaj Sharda

We explore the hot-button issue of corruption in elite colleges. Sahaj Sharda, author of the upcoming book, “The College Cartel”, breaks down this complex topic and provides an examination of the current state of elite higher education. 

Whether you are a student, a parent, or simply curious about the inner workings of the elite college system, this conversation will offer you fresh insight into recent admissions scandals and the big questions surrounding collusion, decadence, privilege, power, and the true value of an elite college education.

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Recorded on 1/12/23

00:00 If elite colleges are so corrupt, why have you attended two of the most elite colleges in the US?

2:45 Rick Singer, the mastermind of the Varsity Blues Scandal

4:53 The Columbia University Rankings Scandal

10:06 Is an elite education about attaining skills or acquiring prestige?

14:25 The feeling on campus where a student was involved in the Varsity Blues Scandal

16:05 Why standardized credentials still matter in the knowledge economy

19:17 The US News and World Report rewards “spending more money on less students”

23:41 Price fixing in the Ivy League

29:52 Where do the huge sums of money that colleges collect actually go?

32:15 What role do wealth managers and hedge funds play in this?

36:33 If only 2% of college students attend elite colleges, does this problem really have broader significance?

39:22 How are professors getting squeezed on wages?

41:37 Elite colleges have become a Veblen good, contradicting the law of demand

47:16 What can an everyday person do to break the college cartel?

51:53 What does the future of education look like?

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