[ericwaller]

I think what vaksel means to say is that Thiel's 20 under 20 project will prove nothing about the value of a college education because his sample consists of 20 of the most brilliant kids around. It would be like trying to demonstrate the worthlessness of a programming course by taking 20 brilliant programmers and having them skip it before starting inevitably successful careers.

[brackin]

Oh I see. Think how much more they can achieve with the freedom and time they have, of course to each of these points there are disadvantages. But for those that are truly self directed and succeeded on their own accord this won't matter. I think college isn't for everyone and for those it is for, it may be very valuable.

Some require this security and mentorship more than others but those that do it will allow them to learn and succeed faster. A number of them may not have realised their full potential.

It's a tough one, it could be unfair to read a bio or look at the overall fellowship and just presume each of the fellows are in the same situation and making an opinion on the fellowship before we see how far they go and study each fellow individually.

Many will get a lot out of it, which is the important part. Others may not have needed it but it will allow them to do what they want.

We tend to leave anything complicated out of our stories because it's just easier to understand. It's hard to judge anyone or a collection of people on these brief stories. Look at startups like Pinterest which waited two years before 'Overnight success'.