History’s Worst Advice on Higher Education

Journalists salivate for a grim college story, especially one that portends Armageddon … i.e., sagging enrollment, campus closings, student dissatisfaction. As long as there’s carnage in higher education (truth be damned), there’s something juicy to write about.

But this type of focus (i.e., negative, one-sided, and biased) risks bad advice for millions of students. It doesn’t tell the whole story … the pros and the cons. Sadly, journalism, when it comes to higher education, isn’t about good advice; it’s about good fiction.

For example, is it good advice to drop out of college? Here’s the truth … it might be good advice for some, bad for others. And here’s the fiction … I’ll let CNBC tell that story:

The world’s youngest self-made billionaire ‘absolutely’ recommends dropping out of college to make money instead—here’s why

This fiction is the worst college advice ever given … in history! Not because it’s entirely wrong; some students should definitely skip college … it’s not for everyone. It’s the worst advice ever because it’s a one-sided article about a one-dimensional hero. For who would ever second-guess “the world’s youngest self-made billionaire” and his “absolute” recommendation to drop out of college and “make money instead.”

A Sure Thing (But With No Context)

This article does little to question the who and the what of its advice. The context is egregiously narrow and underreported.[1] The article implies, without much more, that the “absolute” secret to being young and rich is to drop out of college. But is success really so simple? Or for that matter, so definitive as the article seems to suggest?

This dropout advice comes from Austin Russell, the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, who dropped out of Stanford University in 2012 to start his company, Luminar Technologies. I don’t fault Mr.. Russell for this advice; it’s his life story to tell. But I do fault the article for portraying his story as both magical and pervasive. ?

When Journalism Touts Magic

In terms of magic, the article suggests that dropping out is an “absolute” avenue to future success:

CNBC Make It asked Russell, 28, if he’d recommend other student entrepreneurs to drop out. His response: “Absolutely.”

Should everyone act on Russell’s advice? “Absolutely” (it would seem) because dropping out (apparently) is the key to success, a flag that’s planted in the first line of the article:

You don’t have to get a college degree to become highly successful.

Of course, this is entirely true; you don’t have to get a degree to become highly successful. But is dropping out of college a good idea for everyone? Does dropping out insure you’ll be a highly successful entrepreneur? Russell’s self-assured “absolutely” (along with the opening assurance) implies it does. But does it really?

According to LendingTree:

About 1 in 5 U.S. businesses fail within their first year of operation … 20.8% of private sector businesses in the U.S. fail within the first year. After five years, 48.4% have faltered. After 10 years, 65.1% of businesses have failed.

So while Russell’s personal story shows “you don’t have to get a college degree to become highly successful,” the impersonal data shows that entrepreneurship isn’t a spontaneous road to riches; statistically, it’s a difficult road. Moreover, despite Russell’s perceived “heroics,” the road to riches is usually less fairy tale and more real life:

Successful entrepreneurs achieve hero status in our culture. We idolize the Mark Zuckerbergs and the Elon Musks. And we celebrate the blazingly fast growth of the Inc. 500 companies. But many of those entrepreneurs … harbor secret demons: Before they made it big, they struggled through moments of near-debilitating anxiety and despair--times when it seemed everything might crumble.

Half Stories Create Half Truths

In terms of pervasiveness, the article—lacking context—leads one to believe that dropping out is for everyone, that fantastic riches await all readers. It suggests that by simply dropping out of college, Russell’s story can be your story:

For Russell, the same resources you can get from a university are easily accessible, via smartphones, tablets and other electronic devices.

Russell says he doesn’t regret his choice at all — in fact, it played a major role in why “I’ve been very fortunate and thankful to see great success at still a very early age,” he says.

But Russell is an individual; his story can’t be everyone’s story because there’s so much more (much of it unsaid) to his success than just dropping out:

• He received a $100,000 grant from the Peter Thiel Fellowship before dropping out of Stanford University.
• At 15, his parents introduced him to laser entrepreneur Jason Eichenholz, who became his mentor and later joined Luminar as co-founder.
• He attended St. Margaret's Episcopal School, a selective, private college-preparatory school with a 9:1 student-teacher ratio and a yearly tuition cost of $38,990.
• He studied at the Beckman Laser Institute at the University of California, Irvine while in high school.

So before dropping out, Russell had 1) seed money, 2) connections, 3) an expensive private education, and 4) collegiate-level training. But the article doesn’t dive into this; instead, it links—clearly and unequivocally—Russell’s success to a singular event … dropping out. This shapes Russell’s story into an every-person opportunity, regardless of one’s income, relationships, or education. It also transforms his story into a singular event, overlooking the numerous advantages Russell benefited from.

The College Choice Is a Personal Choice

As I mentioned, Russell’s story is his story; he’s free to tell it.[2] But when reported by a major news outlet, it should be reported with all the facts,[3] transforming it from fairy tale to reality. The reality is, some benefit from dropping out of college, while many—counter to Russell—fail after dropping out.[4] And then many—despite Russell’s advice—reap the benefits of college.[5] Like President Obama, who said:

My years at Occidental College sparked my interest in social and political causes, and filled me with the idea that my voice could make a difference.

So for this highly successful U.S. President, college was beneficial. But does Obama’s success mean every student should “absolutely” go to college? Does it support the advice that every college student will spark an “interest in social and political causes,” find their “voice,” and eventually become President?

No, it doesn’t. Because while there’s nothing wrong with Obama’s experience, there’s something terribly wrong with reporting it as an absolute sure thing.?

[1] One could argue that context is unimportant because the article is merely ”reporting” on what a person said … i.e., it’s conveying the words as fact. But there’s three problems with this argument. First, this particular article isn’t a neutral re-telling of some quote; it’s also a subtle argument against college, citing “skepticism about the practicality of a college degree” and a list of “tech billionaires … as business moguls who dropped out of college.” Second, it lacks context and balance, leaving readers to believe that dropping out is unarguably a good option. Third, and most importantly, it has the potential to influence young adults without telling them the whole story.

[2] And he should tell it. It’s a great success story, and it might inspire someone to do great things. But every success story should come with the facts … the highs, the lows, the polish, and the warts. Without these things, you don’t have a success story; you have a success myth.

[3] A "fluff piece" might not require all the facts, but this isn’t a story about a lost kitten or a pie-eating contest. This is a major publication attempting to sway students away from college minus all the relevant facts. I say “sway” because there’s nothing neutral nor balanced about the article. Potentially, it’s a life-altering story, and it’s irresponsible to write it as “fluff” … as the overpraised perspective of one man’s personal and unique decision.?

[4] The one-sided telling of Russell’s story suffers from the “black swan” effect. Showing his success as a dropout—without more—creates the impression that dropout failures don’t exist. If you only see Russell’s success, the numerous failures (which you can’t see) fall into your blind spot … i.e., their absence reinforces their non-existence.??

[5] To the article’s credit, it makes a small, buried attempt to present the pro-side of college:

Skepticism about the practicality of a college degree has steadily increased over the years, though experts say higher education is still proven to yield favorable results, like better pay and higher-skill job opportunities.