This seems highly over-dramatized: "The stakes are high, higher even than most of us realize. Our answer to this question holds the very roots of our salvation…

This seems highly over-dramatized: "The stakes are high, higher even than most of us realize. Our answer to this question holds the very roots of our salvation… and our demise." From my own experience (I'm a sophomore studying computer science, physics, and math at MIT), nobody assumes that their brand-name degree will automatically get them a job. The most lucrative jobs for CS involve interviews that grill you relentlessly regardless of what your educational background is. For the most part, people are here to learn about science and engineering that interests them, while at the same time hoping to get a job with what they've learned. MIT helps a lot with this by being very flexible about what classes you can take. Prerequisites are all soft, and there is no credit limit. A lot of this may not generalize, but for a motivated student I think college is absolutely not a waste of time.