GW students network, take on college textbook industry

Washington Business Journal – December 13, 2002

by John Wilen

Few things say college like students fired up about the high cost of textbooks.

Sure, they can sell the books back at the end of the semester, but … well, let’s let the experience of George Washington University students Matt Mandell and Tim Calise speak for itself.

Mandell and Calise say they spent a combined $1,000 on books one semester, and received only $175 when selling those books back.

But they didn’t get mad. They got even. Or, at least, they’re trying to get even.

Mandell and Calise have launched VarsityText.com, which they envision as a kind of eBay for college textbooks, linking buyers and sellers from across the country.

“Our dream is to create a network of college students nationwide, and even internationally, who work together to accomplish mutual goals benefiting current and future college students,” says Calise.

Calise and Mandell wear their scorn for the textbook industry on their sleeves, and in a message on their Web site: “As college students ourselves, we believe that if we work together, we can accomplish anything and overcome any large company that takes OUR money unfairly.”

It remains to be seen whether VarsityText can overcome the common textbook industry practice of necessitating the purchase of new textbooks by issuing slightly updated new editions each year. But, who knows, maybe they can beat The Man.

Original Article