Paypal Co-founder Peter Thiel Grants "Scholarships"
Peter Thiel, co-founder of Paypal, offered $100,000 for each of 24 students to drop out of college. Whoa, this can't be good. But wait, it is! There's more to the story.
Live the dream
The money is less a lure away from the hallowed halls of learning than a chance to pursue entrepreneurial dreams. Students with sights on new businesses--even their own, perhaps crazy, far-out ones--find the lure irresistible. Who really uses their college educations anyway?
College, what for?
That's the point. Thiel seems to think that college educations do little to prepare students for business. He calls college overhyped, overpriced, and overlooking real talent. He's putting money where his mouth is. One hundred thousand--that's dollars--goes for starting new businesses and developing new products incubating in the minds of the best and brightest.
There are 24 individuals (described here) receiving the dough. They're smart, they're from all over, and have big ideas for businesses in energy, education, robotics, space, and high tech. One recipient wants to extend human longevity. How can you not be for that?
The 24 are being tutored, mentored, and schooled in areas of relevance while developing real business plans. No time for learning useless stuff they'll never use, or worse, training their creative minds for political activism.
Academia: breeding ground for liberalism
Which brings me to a point I'd like to make clear if it isn't painfully so already. Academia--not all of it--but liberal arts educations in this country bend young impressionable minds to the left. I speak not of professional or technical degrees nor trade schools.
Degrees in liberal disciplines--environment, communications, journalism come to mind--don't deliver on private sector jobs upon graduation. Instead, they prepare students for public positions that say no to anything new. At best, such educations seek to preserve the status quo rather progressing ahead. At worst, parroting pre-determined propaganda earns the paycheck. Writing rules, regulations, and restrictions on every aspect of life comprise the tasks required for careers in government, the only sector that's still growing.
The new education
By doling out what I call "anti-scholarships," Peter Thiel is thumbing his nose at liberal academia. He's building a vision for creative minds. He's putting sand in the education machine that grinds out a single point of view. He's developing young individuals to their highest potential rather than to their lowest common denominator.
Peter Thiel means business, the new schoolhouse for higher education.
Sources:
http://www.businessinsider.com/paypal-cofounder-peter-thiel-is-paying-24-kids-100000-to-drop-out-of-school-2011-5
http://www.fastcompany.com/1755089/legendary-investor-peter-thiel-names-dream-team-of-whiz-kids
Live the dream
The money is less a lure away from the hallowed halls of learning than a chance to pursue entrepreneurial dreams. Students with sights on new businesses--even their own, perhaps crazy, far-out ones--find the lure irresistible. Who really uses their college educations anyway?
College, what for?
That's the point. Thiel seems to think that college educations do little to prepare students for business. He calls college overhyped, overpriced, and overlooking real talent. He's putting money where his mouth is. One hundred thousand--that's dollars--goes for starting new businesses and developing new products incubating in the minds of the best and brightest.
There are 24 individuals (described here) receiving the dough. They're smart, they're from all over, and have big ideas for businesses in energy, education, robotics, space, and high tech. One recipient wants to extend human longevity. How can you not be for that?
The 24 are being tutored, mentored, and schooled in areas of relevance while developing real business plans. No time for learning useless stuff they'll never use, or worse, training their creative minds for political activism.
Academia: breeding ground for liberalism
Which brings me to a point I'd like to make clear if it isn't painfully so already. Academia--not all of it--but liberal arts educations in this country bend young impressionable minds to the left. I speak not of professional or technical degrees nor trade schools.
Degrees in liberal disciplines--environment, communications, journalism come to mind--don't deliver on private sector jobs upon graduation. Instead, they prepare students for public positions that say no to anything new. At best, such educations seek to preserve the status quo rather progressing ahead. At worst, parroting pre-determined propaganda earns the paycheck. Writing rules, regulations, and restrictions on every aspect of life comprise the tasks required for careers in government, the only sector that's still growing.
The new education
By doling out what I call "anti-scholarships," Peter Thiel is thumbing his nose at liberal academia. He's building a vision for creative minds. He's putting sand in the education machine that grinds out a single point of view. He's developing young individuals to their highest potential rather than to their lowest common denominator.
Peter Thiel means business, the new schoolhouse for higher education.
Sources:
http://www.businessinsider.com/paypal-cofounder-peter-thiel-is-paying-24-kids-100000-to-drop-out-of-school-2011-5
http://www.fastcompany.com/1755089/legendary-investor-peter-thiel-names-dream-team-of-whiz-kids
Published by Lorraine Yapps Cohen
I design jewelry free from the constraints of textbook techniques and write non-fiction free from the rigors of technical expression. Chemist by training, creative by spirit, conservative in values, and art... View profile
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16 Comments
Post a CommentThere are pros and cons to this issue; not everyone is successful as an entrepreneur and not everyone is succesful with a degree. It all depends on the individual.
Having worked with far too many MBAs who can barely string together a coherent sentence, I'd say that having a liberal arts background is a good thing indeed. While having a degree in "liberal arts" might not get one very far in today's world, having that foundation is a good thing for any career path. I'm also concerned about what happens to these kids should their businesses fail. $100,000 may sound like a lot of money. However, unless they are the sole employee of the company or expect all of their friends to work for them for free, that won't pay for much. College isn't always right for everyone, but I'm concerned that some kids might drop out who really need to be there.
Thank you for writing a thought-provoking article!
very cool
Nicely Written, thank you
What a great story Lorraine. When I graduated in '92 it wasn't so bad then...of course most of my professors were indeed liberals but honestly never once was I disrespected or made to feel stupid for having a conservative bent. My profs really were interested in expanding one's mind...if I could factually support an opinion I was given high marks and I honestly NEVER heard a prof say anything insanely lib nuts. Course Limbaugh show was only 4 years old in '92 and his listenership was nothing as it is now...30 million unique listeners per week. He was on TV back then and I only watched occasionally. But this is a great piece
This is so interesting! I must say, I definetly agree with you!
I hadn't heard of Mr. Thiel's plans, but I like them!
Superb reporting on this. Well done!
I don't know much about a liberal arts education, since I went to college to become an engineer. But it seems to be descended from the concept of a "finishing" school for the rich and priveleged.
Great article. College is not for everyone, that has been proven by the vast number of successful businessmen and women who never attended. We are drowning our children in student loan debt that they will never be able to repay.