[kailpa1]

I'm a self-taught programmer as well, who dropped out of university, and these factors being omitted would benefit me as well, but I feel like good grades and a good university are still indicators of someone being or is capable of becoming a good programmer.

This system would drop a Harvard top graduate for someone having a year of experience in some outsourcing firm.

[Schiendelman]

Unfortunately, graduating from Harvard is a very good predictor of whether your parents were wealthy, and also that you are less likely to be black.

I worked for a very large job board for the last six years, it's the one you're thinking of. What we found is that the outcomes of paying attention to what school you went to are almost entirely discriminatory, and not predictors of success.

[kailpa1]

That's sad to hear. I guess I'm giving too much credit to schools as a measure of success.

[Schiendelman]

Absolutely. It's correlation, not causation. At least for the most part. The network you build at a very good school exposes you to all those other well connected people, that's the real value.

[goosejuice]

> I feel like good grades and a good university are still indicators of someone being or is capable of becoming a good programmer.

Really depends on the program. In my undergrad program there were some very smart CS students who got great grades that really struggled with the programming. Smart and capable people can be bad at programming and lack many qualities that make for a good hire.

[kailpa1]

Sure, but isn't this kind of person the exception? I feel like most of the time good grades mean good programming skills

[sph]

I started in an outsourcing firm (body rental actually) but I definitely get your point. Maybe they optimize for real world experience, or rather, how one is used to workplace politics and logistics. The top grad will have higher expectations, and all they want is a cog for the Machine.

[kailpa1]

Yep, I don't know either, but I guess they have their reasons for this.