I read the Los Angeles Times’ article “What Students Know that Experts Don’t”, that claims that completing a college education is not about gaining the knowledge, but about signaling, that graduates are hardworking and that they conform to the rules.
The article has implications for the recruiting and interviewing I do for my company. Due to time constraints, particularly during recruiting trips, I scan applicants’ resumes and if the GPA is below 3.0, my first question is often why. These may be bright kids, passionate about programming or some other useful skill and my following questions will attempt to tease how good and passionate they are. But a low GPA might anchor me against hiring them.
The author of the article is Bryan Caplan, a professor of economics at George Mason University. I plan on reading a book he wrote on this subject titled “The Case Against Education: Why The Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money” and will report on it when I do.
This week, the problem of college degrees’ value was brought into sharp focus. FBI charged parents, top school college administrators and their coaches with a scam to help wealthy parents get their children into elite universities. It is not clear, what will happen to students benefiting from actions of their parents. Some students allegedly did not know about these scams and if true, it is hard to imagine how these kids feel now. Even if they are not expelled from their schools, they are tainted by actions their parents took.