The GSV Big 10: Leaving Your Legacy

BONUS: 🎥 Watch: India's G20 Sherpa sits down for a fireside chat with Michael Moe 

#1 Virginia poised to end legacy admissions at public universities | The College Fix

From a philosophical and moral point of view, we have trouble with the concept of legacy to begin with. As it relates to a public university, it seems like an oxymoron. While the development officers might not be high-fiving, the universe is smiling.

#2 Texas A&M University to close Qatar campus

So sad, we barely got to know you. Despite Qatar desperately trying to show its star power and influence on the global stage (including last year’s World Cup), it has some obstacles it needs to overcome. Money is nice, supporting Hamas and Hezbollah is not. It’s a beautiful place…and hopefully one that can be part of the forward. 

#3 Yale to Require Standardized Test Scores for Admissions | The New York Times 

Yale joins its Ivy League brother Dartmouth in reinstating standardized testing. While clearly these tests shouldn’t be the only input or even the predominant influence in admissions, it certainly makes sense to use it as a datapoint to paint the picture of a student’s capabilities and potential.  

#4 Could Short-Term Pell Really Happen? | Senate Signals Room for Literacy Reforms | Troubling New Data from Strada & Burning Glass

Our friend Ben Wallerstein always has interesting things to say. This window in to his personal journey speaks volumes about two big concepts - 1) one size does not fit all, and 2) mentors matter. 

#5 “Who Needs Western Civ?”: The Right Education with Frederick Hess | American Enterprise Institute | AEI 

Making constant product improvements is a given expectation in most industries, but in education it seems to get lost in the noise. While cheaper, faster, better is important in every sector, making your “customer experience” (parents, students, and teachers) compelling is always a key fundamental. Rick’s new book The Great School Rethink is a must-read for anybody who cares about education. 

#6 Penn Engineering launches first Ivy League undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence | Penn Today

This headline should seem as novel as “dog bites man,” but in the world of elite higher education, it's noteworthy. AI is going to change everything…and like air, it’s ubiquitous, invisible, and you’ll need it to live. 

#7 Reddit in AI content licensing deal with Google | Reuters 

As data becomes the new gold, educational publishers are California. Reddit, which has filed to go public this spring, has created one of the richest communities of specialized knowledge in the World…and one of the most polluted. This deal will open the floodgates for similar businesses. Human capital and data are part of the “new balance sheet”...now it looks like they’ll be showing up on the income statement, too.

#8 Can generative AI unlock technology-enabled tutoring, for everyone? | MIT Open 

No more just the realm of the wealthy, every student is going to have a study buddy in their pocket. Unleashing human potential shouldn’t be just for the privileged few.  While the field is many and the promises are even more, filtering is happening at warp speed.   

#9 'Center for Enlightened Disagreement' Launches at Northwestern University and the Kellogg School of Management 

Divergence of thought and freedom of speech were once staples on university campuses. Alas, clearly that’s not the case anymore. 4,000 universities, 1 point of view has become the norm. Here’s to hoping this is the start of reversing that.  

#10 Announcing the 2024 GSV 150

The GSV Team’s breakdown of the 150 most important EdTech companies that are changing our world. We would love to get your feedback on what companies we missed and where we were wrong!