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The AI-Native University Is Coming. Higher Ed Needs to Get Ready.
We will see new AI institutions with a fundamentally different instructional model, organizational structure, and cost base. Could this finally drive…
Sep 23
•
Ariel Sokol
3
1
1
AI Is Supposed to Devalue Credentials. Harvard’s HBS Online May Prove Otherwise.
Forget the naysayers. I argue that AI may make some credentials more valuable even as it commoditizes content. HBS Online’s revenue growth has stalled…
Sep 15
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Ariel Sokol
2
1
1
Q2 2026 Postsecondary Review: What Public Education Companies Are Telling Us About Demand, AI Search and Student Acquisition
Healthcare and skilled trade program demand remains strong. But AI-driven changes in search and company-specific execution problems are complicating the…
Aug 25
•
Ariel Sokol
3
1
Stride (LRN): What Investors Missed About the CEO Transition - It’s a Turnaround Situation
Stride shares fell 15% following an abrupt change in leadership. The new CEO's turnaround acumen suggests a company whose growth may have outpaced its…
Aug 16
•
Ariel Sokol
9
1
Examining AI Bias Against Christian-Affiliated Universities
Google AI Overviews frame Christian-affiliated universities as less desirable than secular schools. Here’s how the bias works—and why it matters.
Aug 2
•
Ariel Sokol
5
1
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Higher Education Stocks: Are AI LLMs Delaying Enrollments—or Redirecting Students Elsewhere?
Higher ed stocks declined 14% after University of Phoenix’s parent said AI lengthened the student enrollment cycle. My thesis: LLMs are steering online…
Jul 19
•
Ariel Sokol
8
1
1
Chegg’s Third Act: Do Value Investors Have It Right?
An activist investor sees meaningful upside in Chegg (CHGG). We examine whether Busuu, Chegg Skills, and the company’s balance sheet/cash flow justify…
Jul 12
•
Ariel Sokol
4
2
Stride (LRN), Customer Efficacy Risk, and Investor Diligence in the AI Era
The announced closure of a large Texas customer has investors concerned. While always possible, it's highly unlikely IMHO another large school will…
Jun 17
•
Ariel Sokol
8
Stride (LRN), Lone Star Online Academy's Closure, and the Return of Efficacy Risk
Will Lone Star’s recently announced closure force investors to care about virtual school efficacy once again?
Jun 16
•
Ariel Sokol
3
5
1
Skillsoft, the sale of Global Knowledge, and the SPAC-Era Quest for Scale
A SPAC-era platform story and the enduring cost of buying scale
Jun 10
•
Ariel Sokol
1
1
How Big Could the U.S. K-12 Virtual School Market Really Get?
Accelerating demand and high penetration rates in certain states suggest that the market could triple from current levels.
May 11
•
Ariel Sokol
7
What Happens When Schools Leave Stride / K12?
Case studies of what actually happens when schools in-source from an Education Management Organization like Stride or Pearson
May 3
•
Ariel Sokol
5
1
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