St. Olaf named a ‘Dream School’ in new book by bestselling author
St. Olaf is one of 75 colleges from across the nation highlighted in the new book Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right for You.
The book, written by journalist and author Jeff Selingo, hits shelves on September 9. It is a follow-up and companion to Selingo’s 2020 bestseller Who Gets In and Why, which was named one of the 100 most notable books of the year by the New York Times.
In Dream School, Selingo shifts the focus from how colleges admit students to how students can better pick colleges. He encourages students and families to think more broadly about the traits that define excellent colleges, and he provides tools to help students discover their dream school. At the end of the book, Selingo includes a list of 75 colleges and universities that he calls the “New Dream Schools” — including St. Olaf.
“This list highlights institutions with strong outcomes, accessible admissions, and dynamic student experiences,” Selingo writes. “Among the factors I considered when creating the list: affordability, financial health, student engagement, geographic diversity, and career outcomes.”
“This list highlights institutions with strong outcomes, accessible admissions, and dynamic student experiences.”
— Journalist and Author Jeff Selingo
The book notes that student engagement and satisfaction scores are high at St. Olaf, where incoming students take several courses in small cohorts and participate in a yearlong orientation program that fosters a sense of belonging. The college is known for having a great classroom experience and excellent lab facilities, as well as strong on-campus research experiences and a robust team of career coaches. St. Olaf offers more than 5,000 experiential learning opportunities every year for students to test out career paths and learn new skills, and 88 percent of graduates participate in an internship, research, or other hands-on-learning opportunities during their time on the Hill.
St. Olaf President Susan Rundell Singer notes, “In his new book, Jeff Selingo mirrors back the college we strive to be. Our holistic four-year pathway, including a mentored first-year experience and programming for second-year thriving, prepares students for lives of purpose. Our students fill me with hope for the future.”
That commitment to supporting students and providing access to a transformative education is exactly what defines a dream school, Selingo adds.
“A dream school is not about a single name or even a specific group of schools,” Selingo writes. “It’s about a place where students thrive, where they build confidence, find belonging, and launch into meaningful work and life.”
St. Olaf, he notes, “stood out because of how it delivers on that promise.”