The One-Hour Problem: How High School Counseling Fails Families
From Exploring Prosperity- Challenging Pessimism in the US by Bob Dewey
January 24, 2026 · 50 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the failures of high school counseling in the college decision process and explores potential solutions through technology and better information.
Families navigate the college decision process rarely—but the consequences can last decades.In this episode of Exploring Prosperity, I speak with Jon Carson, CEO of College Guidance Network, about why the traditional college guidance system no longer works—and why rising costs, declining ROI, and information asymmetry have made the decision riskier than ever.We break down the real math behind high school counseling, why most students receive only about one hour of guidance per year, and how parents are left without the tools they need to make informed decisions. We also explore how colleges market to families, how student debt reflects systemic failure, and why confidence in higher education has collapsed over the past decade.The conversation then turns to technology and AI—where it helps, where it falls short, and why scalable, expert-anchored guidance may be the missing piece. Jon explains how AI can augment human judgment, rather than replace it, and how better incentives and better information could dramatically improve outcomes for students and families alike.This episode examines how a high-stakes decision process broke—and what it would take to make it work again.🎧…
People in this episode
Host: Bob Dewey
Guest: Jon Carson
Topics covered
- college guidance
- high school counseling
- student debt
- higher education
- technology in education
- family decision making
Keywords
- college decision
- high school counseling
- student debt
- AI in education
- family guidance
Sponsors
Truflation
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: College Guidance Network
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