​REGISTER TODAY! Free for member school parents and for educators from member and non-member schools.

​​​​The Common Ground Speaker Series presents distinguished speakers in education, parenting, and health at venues across the San Francisco Peninsula. Our 2025-2026 Series will be a hybrid season with some events online and some in person. Parents, faculty, and staff at our member schools attend the Common Ground online events free of charge. Faculty and educators from non-member schools are also invited to participate free of charge. Guests from non-member schools and the general community can register and attend. Registration closes twelve hours before the start of this event or when maximum registration is reached.

​​​​Guests from non-member schools and the general community can register and attend this in-person event for a fee. (From the dropdown, please select: "a member of the GENERAL PUBLIC [$10.00 USD fee].)

​We also welcome educators from member and nonmember schools to attend our events free of charge.  However, we'd like to get a better understanding of our audience and interests and request that you register with your work school institution email address.  Educators must be employees of accredited educational institutions.

​Event Logistics

• ​This event will take place IN-PERSON. We encourage all attendees to arrive early to ensure ample time for parking.

• ​Parking spaces are limited and may fill up quickly, so arriving in advance will help avoid any delays.

• ​To help us streamline your entry, please have your QR code ready to scan upon arrival.

​Ticket Policy Notice

• ​Each ticket grants entry to one person only.

• ​Tickets are non-transferable and cannot be shared with spouses, friends, or others.

• ​Additional tickets must be purchased for any accompanying guests.

​​​​To complete your registration, please enter your email, full name, affiliation (role and school), and connection to the Common Ground Speaker Series. Then, click "Register!"

​​​​Registration closes 12 hours before the event or when maximum registration is reached.

​​​​ARE YOU RECORDING THIS EVENT? Yes, this event will be recorded and made available to Common Ground Speaker Series Member Schools. Please contact your school's representative for access.

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​Jeff Selingo​

​DREAM SCHOOL: Finding the College That’s Right for You ​​​

​Tues, September 16; 7:00-8:15pm PT 

​In-person at St. Francis High School 

​1885 Miramonte Ave, Mountain View​​​​​

​Attending college has long been a rite of passage for millions of teens. But as perceptions of higher education have changed, that well-worn path has become more and more stressful for students and their families. New York Times best-selling author, Jeff Selingo, reveals how to assemble a meaningful list of colleges that will inspire students’ futures but that can also lower the stress of the application process.

​Selingo’s new book, "Dream School", suggests that the name of the school matters less than you think, explains why some families are choosing value over prestige, and describes how to make sure the degree really pays off. 

​About our speaker

​ Jeff Selingo has written about colleges and universities for more than two and a half decades and is a New York Times bestselling author of three books. His last book, Who Gets In & Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, takes readers inside the admissions offices of three selective universities and was named among the 100 Notable Books of the year by the New York Times. His new book, Dream School: Finding The College That’s Right For You, is based on two-plus years of research and an original survey of 3,500 parents. 

​A regular contributor to The Atlantic, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal, Jeff is a special advisor to the president and professor of practice at Arizona State University. He also writes a bi-weekly newsletter on all things higher ed called Next and co-hosts the podcast, Future U. He lives near Washington, DC with his family.