This. I didn't go to college myself, and have a fortunately successful career thus far, but the two key reasons I wish I had gone ultimately boil down to "I wis

This. I didn't go to college myself, and have a fortunately successful career thus far, but the two key reasons I wish I had gone ultimately boil down to "I wish I had established a broader knowledge on topics related to my industry," and "I wish I was better versed in more worldly subjects." With that said, I think we're poorly equipping high school students to make those evaluations as to if/when that's a smart choice for them. I support the argument for more trade schools and apprenticeships because for a number of folks, myself included in my early post-high school years, going to college straight out of HS would have been a giant waste of time and money. I wouldn't have taken it seriously, I didn't understand what I really wanted from life, only that I was "good at computer." High school guidance councilors are spending time and energy on getting you testing well, getting into school, because "it's good", but not once did I get counsel on whether that would have been right for me, or if there was a route I could take later on in life where I could take a path towards short term success that would give me the security to figure out "what do I want to do" after I'd learned enough about who I was.