1. What It's Like to Start a College 36:28

There are more than 4000 colleges in the United States–many of them hundreds of years old.  Adam Braus decided to create a new one.  In this episode he shares why he took this bold step, as well as the many hoops he had to jump through to gain accreditation (and the “corruption” he claims he encountered along the way). Elton College is built on Braus's background in education and philosophy.  Elton turns a lot of conventional wisdom about learning on its head–students get one-on-one tutoring about the subjects that most fascinate them; they can start any time of the year (not just in the fall); there are no semesters; and more. It is, as Braus calls it, an “artisanal model of education.”

In this episode:

  • Why start a new college? (01:40)
  • What differentiates Elton from other colleges (05:29)
  • How Adam's research into motivation, and background in philosophy, inform Elton (09:54)
  • Special attributes of Elton College (13:16)
  • Study whatever interests you (17:05)
  • Finding professors (19:34)
  • Tuition at Elton (24:57)
  • Adam's vision for Elton Moving forward (28:50)
Want to know more about Adam and Elton College?
  • Learn about Adam (and the books he's written):  https://www.adambraus.com 
  • Find out more about Elton College: https://www.eltoncollege.org/
  • Listen to Adam's podcast: https://www.solutionsfromthemultiverse.com/
Want to know more about “What It's Like To…”?
  • Sign up to be on our Insiders' List to receive our newsletters and insiders' information! Go to whatitsliketo.net (sign-ups are at the bottom of the page)
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Elizabeth Pearson Garr has spent a lot of her life asking questions. A daughter of a professor and a principal, as a kid she loved sitting at the “adult table” during their dinner parties so she could participate in the “real” conversations.

Elizabeth went on to graduate with honors from Harvard with a degree in History and Literature, and promptly attended professional cooking school to become a food writer. That led to various career opportunities, including becoming one of the first employees of the Television Food Network; writing/producing gigs at networks from PBS to E!; anchoring/reporting at the NBC affiliate in Billings, Montana; earning a graduate degree in Documentary Film & Video from Stanford University; and various and sundry other things. The through-line to all this has been curiosity. Elizabeth is a skilled interviewer who loves diving deep into research, finding connections, and telling good stories.

Elizabeth has a husband, two daughters, and a fluffy white dog who rarely leaves her side.