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I recently sat down with my cousin’s kid, a high school junior. Like any high schooler, he’s stressing out about making the right choice. My advice surprised him: apply broadly, but don’t chase the biggest names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here’s the truth that too many people miss when picking schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let me address the elephant in the room first. You’ve probably seen headlines about companies like Palantir hiring high school graduates<\/a> straight into their fellowship programs, or tech CEOs questioning the value of degrees. Palantir’s CEO has openly criticized college for not preparing students for work, calling it “indoctrination,” and launched a program that hired 22 exceptional high school graduates with Ivy League-level test scores out of thousands of applicants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But here’s the reality: this path is for the 1%. Think Kobe Bryant going straight to the NBA or LeBron James skipping college. These are once-in-a-generation talents with abilities that were undeniable from day one. For 99% of people, skipping college is a mistake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n College offers far more than a diploma\u2014it’s about the connections you make, the experiences you have, the time to figure out who you are, and yes, the credential that opens doors. The problem isn’t college itself. The problem is when students pick schools they can’t afford or that don’t fit their needs.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s talk numbers. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees<\/a> to attend a ranked public college is nearly 75% less than the average sticker price at a private college\u2014$11,371 for the 2025-2026 year compared with $44,961, respectively. For out-of-state students at public colleges, the average comes to $25,415 for the same year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s what that looks like over four years (before financial aid):<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Real Cost Difference: Public vs Private<\/h3>\n\n\n\n