National Decision Day: A Heartwarming Family Tradition of Setting Your Money on Fire

Nothing brings a family together like torching six figures in the name of higher education.

Let me guess: You're either one of two parents right now. You’re either celebrating because your child has finally committed to a college, and now you can finally sleep again. Or, you’re frantically Googling “What is National Decision Day?” while your child binge-watches another season of a show with zero correlation to anything remotely collegiate.

Either way, buckle up.

May 1st, 2025 — that's the day. National Decision Day. The day when teenagers across the country are expected to make what could easily be the most financially significant decision of their lives. You know, no pressure.

And before you say, "Well, the school counselor told us everything we needed to know," I’d like to gently point out that your school counselor is probably working with more than 300 other students—and let’s be real—and likely wouldn’t know your child’s name without your child telling them their name first.

Let’s start with the obvious. If your idea of choosing a college involves a family road trip, a mascot-themed hoodie, and whatever institution looks prettiest on the brochure, congratulations — you're doing it wrong.

Let me be blunter: college is not a wedding venue. You don’t choose it based on landscaping, food courts, or whether the admissions rep wore a cute bowtie.

Let’s Talk About the Real Stats (Because They Don’t Lie... But They Will Make You Sit Upright)

The national average for student loan debt sits at a healthy $41,520. That’s if you’re lucky. Some families will come out owing the equivalent of a starter home for a degree their child isn’t even using.

Only 62.2% of students graduate within six years. That means roughly 38% are paying for a piece of paper they never receive. But sure, let’s keep pretending "starting" matters more than finishing.

First-year retention rates? About 68.2%. So nearly a third of students will drop out or transfer within the first year — but you got the hoodie with Mom and Dad embroidered on it, right?

And degree persistence? Yeah, that thing where your child sticks with their chosen major and doesn’t change it five times while still graduating in four years? Danger, Will Robinson: that’s the exception, not the rule.

You Want ROI? Look at Alumni Paychecks, Not Campus Vibes

Some schools—MIT, Caltech, Harvey Mudd, Carnegie Mellon, and others—are practically printing six-figure starting salaries. These schools with engineering and STEM-based pipelines can send their students to career fairs that are more competitive than the Hunger Games, where their students win big and often.

Others? Let’s say their alumni work at places that rhyme with “Shmarget” while paying off loans that could once again finance their first home.

How Do I Know? Because I’ve Done It (Exceptionally Well, I Might Add)

We didn’t let college happen to us. We took control of college and made miracles happen.

My son, Naeem, got over $2 million worth of education for free. He didn’t just win the academic lottery. There was no fluke. He didn’t benefit from wealth, privilege, legacy status, or Adobe Photoshop. He won because we had a system, plan, and blueprint from birth.

If you think success happens with hope, prayer, and a Common App, please think again. For the love of God, get some help right now. You really should seek a therapist immediately because in a very short time, you and your child are in for a rude awakening.

Sadly, most people pick colleges like they pick something from a vending machine: "Ehh, that one looks good." And then, when the unhealthy, zero-nutritional faux food item gets stuck halfway, they kick the machine. Welcome to the college experience — minus the refund, but with all the detrimental ingredients.

The Real College Fit Test Isn’t on a Campus Tour

Want to know what makes a good college fit?

·         Endowment size (yes, bigger often is better — especially when it comes to scholarships)

·         Graduation rates for your child’s demographic

·         Average debt upon graduation

·         First-year retention rates

·         Alumni salaries five years post-grad

·         Career placement and internship pipeline

If your decision-making process hasn’t involved these data points, I have bad news: you are the sucker who fell for the marketing materials, who is clueless about the mission.

Like I said, you should have already started searching for a therapist. You need professional help!

So, What Should You Do?

First, breathe. Second, start asking better questions.

Instead of: “Does my child love the campus?” Ask: “Can this school financially support my child’s journey AND set them up for career success?”

Instead of: “Is this a good ‘name brand’ school?” Ask: “Does this school produce high graduation and low debt outcomes for kids like mine?”

To the Parents: It’s Time to Grow Up Too

College is your child’s journey, but let’s not pretend you’re not deeply entangled in this excursion: Emotionally. Financially. Existentially.

If you’re the parent procrastinating because you “don’t want them to leave the nest,” I get it. My son is my best friend, and I cry whenever we part company. Yep, I admit. I’m an old softy when it comes to him.

But this journey isn’t about your empty nest syndrome. This is about whether your child can live in their own home and do so with a life not funded by you until age 35.

Your job is not to be the emotional DJ of their graduation party or financial support animal for the entirety of your life. Your job is to help them embark on a voyage that leads to independence, make them a model of the right way to launch into adulthood, and afford them an honorable standing in the community, not dependence or co-dependency.

To the Students: You’re Not Buying a Hoodie or a Good Time. You’re Buying a Future.

I know, I know — the quad looked cool. The tour guide was funny. The dorm had all the latest and greatest creature comforts. But here’s the deal: you’re signing up for at least four years and likely tens of thousands of dollars in costs to grow up, not play grown-up.

You're not doing college accurately or intelligently if you don’t look at graduation stats, internship opportunities, or alumni networks. You’re doing a costly, immature sleepaway camp.

Here’s the Truth Most People Won’t Tell You

College isn’t meant to be a dream. It’s an investment. And just like any savvy investor, you'd better learn how to evaluate risk, reward, and returns. You better understand the words “Buyer Beware.”

Do the research, use my resources (College Fit Scorecard and Smart Financial Aid Playbook), read the fine print, and stop letting the mascot and emotions make the decisions. Use your brain, after all, your mind is not only a terrible thing to waste, but it is what you will need to use to get the requisite grades to graduate with a financially lucrative degree in four years or less.

If You're Now Feeling Unsure, Excellent — That Likely Means You're Finally Thinking

As my son famously told me years ago, “It's not too late! You still have time!” Thus, it’s still possible for you and your child to have an honest conversation.

Clarity is on the other side of that open conversation. Ask your child the tough questions and ask yourself the harder ones.

And if you’re tired of making decisions in the dark, there’s this guy named Nathaniel A. Turner who’s been yelling into the parenting abyss, holding a lantern, trying to get you to pay attention for the last decade. It might be worth following him and connecting with him. He tends to know what he’s talking about. Oh, and yeah, he is me!

Subscribe, Follow, And Share. Immediately Forward This To Someone Else Who Is Also About To Make A $100K Mistake.

National Decision Day shouldn’t be about hype. Selecting, attending, and matriculating from the best-fit college should be about hope and mathematical data-driven certainty. I’m talking about the kind of calculated optimism that comes with a plan, a purpose, and a future paid for by someone other than you that doesn't mortgage your child’s future and beyond.