[phea]

Seems like the criteria use to select Thiel Fellows is the same criteria used by top schools. Probably the reason why many return to school, because they have that option available to them.

A better experiment would be something similar to the movie "Trading Places" where they pluck disadvantaged youths from the ghetto, trailer park, or whatever. Send them through a mentorship program or real internship and see if they can become productive citizens. I believe Xavier Neal is on the right track with his School 42.

[acjohnson55]

You picked an extremely loaded way to express something that's presumably meant to be uplifting.

[mc32]

I think it's only loaded if you want it to be. People from economically depressed areas are... economically depressed. People from ghettoes and trailer parks are typically underprivileged and tend not to do economically as well as others. If doing economically well were not important or a measure of success, well, we would not be worrying about economic success...

[TheBiv]

I believe it's a matter of tact, not a matter of fact

[mkal_tsr]

"pluck disadvantaged youths from the ghetto, trailer park, or whatever" ... "see if they can become productive citizens"

Wow, just wow.

[phea]

Facts regarding social mobility in the US will back up my claim.

[mkal_tsr]

And condescending remarks from the tech sector will only perpetuate the stereotype that we're out of touch and condescending assholes to those that aren't "one of us"