4 ms·

> Would you, personally, go to a college that wasn't accredited? If there was solid evidence of a pipeline towards big tech, then maybe? I went to K-State whic

> Would you, personally, go to a college that wasn't accredited? If there was solid evidence of a pipeline towards big tech, then maybe? I went to K-State which is accredited and yet no big tech recruits from there. The only way I got into the big tech game was starting a company in the mid-west and having CTO on my resume.

whatshisface 4y ago
I've never seen solid evidence, that the public would be able to see, of a pipeline to big tech except at Stanford, and maybe Harvard, because that's what people talk about and put in movies. I am not saying there isn't a "pipeline" anywhere else, just that the pipeline has to be very big and obvious before a highschooler or a midwestern parent of a highschooler would know about it. If it was really true that nothing mattered except for quality, there'd hardly be a need for universities at all, because students could buy books and self-teach or hire tutors. Nonetheless, that is almost never done, because outward signs like accreditation matter a lot.
- watwut 4y ago
  The other reason is that the learn from books alone simply does not work in practice. First, it is super hard to keep motivation without that external structure. And second, choosing books to learn from and choosing curriculum itself requires a lot of know how.
- User23 4y ago
  The University of Waterloo’s co-op program is a major pipeline into big tech. I’ve worked with Waterloo interns and graduates many times and they’ve all been well above average.
  - scythe 4y ago
    But you've picked one of the most prominent schools in Canada as an example. A good example would be somewhere that isn't already extremely prestigious.
    - barry-cotter 4y ago
      Canada isn’t like the US. Canadian universities expand. They don’t have anywhere near the degree of difference in prestige an American thinks normal. Also, seriously, Waterloo is one one of the most prominent schools? Most Americans don’t know it exists, never mind have an opinion on how prestigious it is. I know it has a fantastic CS programme, with coop every second semester and that is the sum total of my knowledge. That’s a lot more than most people know.

whatshisface 4y ago

I've never seen solid evidence, that the public would be able to see, of a pipeline to big tech except at Stanford, and maybe Harvard, because that's what people talk about and put in movies. I am not saying there isn't a "pipeline" anywhere else, just that the pipeline has to be very big and obvious before a highschooler or a midwestern parent of a highschooler would know about it. If it was really true that nothing mattered except for quality, there'd hardly be a need for universities at all, because students could buy books and self-teach or hire tutors. Nonetheless, that is almost never done, because outward signs like accreditation matter a lot.

watwut 4y ago
The other reason is that the learn from books alone simply does not work in practice. First, it is super hard to keep motivation without that external structure. And second, choosing books to learn from and choosing curriculum itself requires a lot of know how.
User23 4y ago
The University of Waterloo’s co-op program is a major pipeline into big tech. I’ve worked with Waterloo interns and graduates many times and they’ve all been well above average.
- scythe 4y ago
  But you've picked one of the most prominent schools in Canada as an example. A good example would be somewhere that isn't already extremely prestigious.
  - barry-cotter 4y ago
    Canada isn’t like the US. Canadian universities expand. They don’t have anywhere near the degree of difference in prestige an American thinks normal. Also, seriously, Waterloo is one one of the most prominent schools? Most Americans don’t know it exists, never mind have an opinion on how prestigious it is. I know it has a fantastic CS programme, with coop every second semester and that is the sum total of my knowledge. That’s a lot more than most people know.