Categories: ECONOMY

Educational arbitrage?

Is it really all about the networking? Some people think so, and they are taking action:

Justin Helman didn’t get his dream acceptance from the University of Florida. But that isn’t stopping him from pursuing the classic college experience there.

The recent high-school graduate from Park Ridge, N.J., is set to move into a private apartment right by campus. He is enrolling in a UF online program for the first few semesters and paying an extra fee package to access services like the campus gym and student-section football-game tickets. He plans to study at the library, join clubs and might rush a fraternity.

“I’m going to get almost the entire same experience, and the only thing I’m really missing is going into class and dorming,” he said. “To me, it was just almost a no-brainer.”

More students like Helman are discovering there is another way into their dream schools.

Students who don’t get into major public flagships the traditional way are still participating in the social life of these campuses. The small-but-mighty group is moving to college towns, enrolling in online programs or nearby community colleges, living in private housing, joining Greek life, and attending game-day tailgates.

And it seems the arbitrage runs both ways:

The approach is sanctioned by the universities, which are expanding alternative-enrollment programs. “It’s a way to get what you want if the traditional, standard way doesn’t work,” said Beth Kraemer, a consultant for In College Consulting, who observed an uptick in this trend.

The programs can be a savvy way for universities to protect their rankings and generate revenue, said Adam Nguyen, founder of admissions-consulting firm Ivy Link. These are often students who narrowly missed the admissions cutoff.

Here is more from the WSJ, via Adam B.

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