| Funny, every time I hear these stories about the declining value of college I always think why that is. Is the premium declining because so many people can at least have a chance to finance an education now? Is that really bad? Whenever I hear someone say they don't need to go to college, I remind them Mark Zuckerberg was at Philips Exeter (2019 tuition 49k), Bill Gates and Paul Allen at Lakeside School (2019 tuition 36k), Reid Hoffman attended Putney School (2019 tuition and boarding 56k). Many of the people that make pronouncements about college not being a necessity came from wealthy backgrounds or went to the upper crust of private high schools in America. In fact whenever someone makes these crazy suggestions I suggest you look up their background and it will usually be wealthy family/private high school. I will grant Bezos and Thiel being the exception to private schools but still they came from upper middle class / wealth backgrounds... These individuals could do without college. The hard work and preparation at their high schools put them through a grueling curriculum. If they have enough discipline to graduate from these high schools they would have been a success with or without college. Unless you are in similar situation, please go to college and graduate. Specific degrees do not really matter just graduate so you don't get sidelined late in your career. I still hear people say it is not necessary. It probably isn't really necessary for most IT roles but once youthful enthusiasm runs out, every employer will look to replace you. Do not think they will value your experience and loyalty. Another counterpoint, if it was the case a college education is not necessary to succeed at Silicon Valley, why do these firms have a difficult time hiring black or hispanic employees... Sure college may be useless for some but please don't peddle this garbage in the face of reality. So either the Silicon Valley firms are racist and are OK with having employees that never went to college as long as they look a certain way or this is all bunk in an effort to hire young enthusiastic employees that have no room to negotiate after a certain age... As we just saw many wealthy families bribe their children into an Ok college... I bet all the wealthy people above will make sure their children attend college. I will bet all their wives and friends went to college. I will bet they never shared a beer with friends that never went to college. Please don't be stupid. Finish college, learn something that interest you, give back to society. Maybe all these policy discussions are bunk and every child in America should expect the same quality of education a student at Exeter would demand. |