Invisible Privacy | Online Privacy

Four of the five richest persons in
America are college dropouts.
--Forbes magazine

The majority of today’s high school graduates should never go to college. Often, they have no idea what they want to do, once they graduate.

If you are concerned about morals, think of the peer pressure involving drugs, binge drinking, and indiscriminate sex. If you are concerned about privacy, remember that all privacy will be lost until they graduate or drop out. If you are concerned about money, remember that you or they will end up tens of thousands of dollars in debt, with no guarantee whatsoever of a high-paying job after graduation.

William Fitzimmons, Dean of Admissions at Harvard College, urges prospective students to take a “time off” break of one year, before going on to the university. “For almost thirty years,” he says, “Harvard has recommended this option, indeed proposing it in the letter of admission.”

Margit Dahl, director of Yale's undergraduate admissions, is also a strong advocate of deferring admission for one year. "We would love it to grow,” she says.

In the UK, taking a year off is called a “gap year.” British universities (and parents) not only accept that students take a gap year, it's practically expected. Even Prince William went to do volunteer work in Chile before continuing his studies. There is a natural break at this time in people's lives," says Susannah Hecht, editor of The Gap Year Guidebook. "The opportunity is there because there is a lack of responsibilities." She says that gap years are also seen in England as a chance to develop skills and to take personal responsibility as an adult.”

At the end of the gap year, your son or daughter may have a whole new outlook that does not involve a so-called higher education. (The information in this post is taken from SKIP COLLEGE: Go into Business for Yourself.)