IP: CHOOSING A SALARY OR TUITION Edupage, September 8 2000

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> The wealth of tech jobs and the attractive salary packages they
> offer is compelling some talented high school students to skip
> college and enter the job market.  These young workers say a
> college education can actually hurt their long-term chances
> because the tech field changes so quickly.  Many
> computer-oriented young people dislike high school, where they
> are perceived as uncool outsiders, and have no wish to continue
> into college.  They see the computer industry, where producing
> results is more important than fitting in, as an ideal and
> profitable environment for their talents and interests.  The
> median weekly salary for computer analysts and programmers is
> nearly twice the overall population's median salary, according to
> the Census Department's Current Population Survey.  There is
> little evidence to show whether this direct movement of high
> school students into the tech field is a statistically
> significant trend or merely a collection of isolated incidents.
> Educators and parents worry, however, that short-term economic
> gain may create long-term disadvantages for these young tech
> experts.  Not having a college degree may hurt them when they
> compete for promotions or try to land a better job.
> (New York Times, September 7 2000)