It’s never been harder—or more important—for students to make decisions about what comes after high school. The old narrative of “college for all” is under stress. Costs have skyrocketed. Trust in traditional institutions is wavering. And yet, the stakes feel higher than ever.
That’s why we commissioned, What Comes Next?, a new kind of guide for students who are asking better questions, and for the guidance counselors and families helping them find real answers. Written by longtime education journalist Lauren Camera (formerly of U.S. News & World Report), the guide brings together the voices of educators, reformers, and innovators who are all working toward the same goal: helping students find postsecondary pathways that actually work for them.
The guide doesn’t tell students what to do. It doesn’t say “skip college,” or “go into trades” or “choose Campus.” Instead, it lays out the real choices that exist today—and the trade-offs that come with them. Community college, apprenticeships, employer-based programs, skills bootcamps, global gap years, radically new four-year models… They’re all here, alongside traditional degree pathways that still offer value to many students.
As our founder and chancellor, Tade Oyerdine, puts it in a recent Forbes piece highlighting the guide:
What Comes Next? is one small but bold step in that direction. It’s designed to help students and counselors cut through the noise, challenge assumptions and ask better questions:
- What will this program cost me—not just in money, but in time and opportunity?
- Will it actually lead to a job I want?
- Does it fit how I learn, who I am, and what I want from life?
You’ll find practical advice, expert interviews, student-centered tools, and real examples from institutions like Year Up, Verto, General Assembly, Guild, Minerva, Paul Quinn and more.
Campus is featured too—not as the answer for everyone, but as part of a new generation of programs trying to make college radically more affordable, accessible and aligned with real life.
We’re not here to push one path. We’re here to help light the way forward.
If you’re a counselor, student or parent navigating this moment—we hope this guide helps you do just that.
👉 Download the guide
Explore real post-high school options—from college to gap years to new models—in this guide for students, families and guidance counselors.