4 ms·

So jealous!!

charlescearl 13y ago
Seems like it's in the category of things like going to Paris to learn advanced culinary skills...the kind of thing that you typically only have the resources to do if you're either extremely wealthy or have the Leo Batuta/young-Steve-Jobs detachment to eschew comforts in search of a higher goal. Perhaps that's who they're looking for?
- Evbn 13y ago
  Right, it is artificial social barriers set up to exclude the many for the benefit of the few, like the "Ivy League" imprimatur or being in a "good family".
  - charlescearl 13y ago
    At least in the Ivy's you can in principle get a scholarship, part time work to sustain you, or gasp take out a lifetime loan, this requires a bit more thought...maybe there's kickstarter funding...hey maybe Peter N. can subsidize a deserving Hacker?
    - stephencanon 13y ago
      The Ivies give out financial aid packages far more generous than most other schools. There are all sorts of ways in which they are exclusive, but affordability (for American students, at least) is not one of them.
    - lfranchi 13y ago
      Hacker School is 4 days a week (at least this batch and last batch). You can definitely work part time during HS. I worked during the last batch of hacker school, and as a commenter above says, it's possible to live (he's doing it!) in NYC paying $650/mo in rent. That doesn't look like an arbitrary social barrier designed to exclude the many to me. MOOCs are still there, and still awesome.
      - charlescearl 13y ago
        It does seem like there are probably lots of formal and informal ways of getting someone there if they've got the potential and desire. That's really good to know!
    - Sean-Der 13y ago
      HackerSchool does give out scholarships already to some. Also someone did run a kickstarter to get funding for their expenses in NY, and it met the funding goal almost overnight. Hacker School is a one of a kind experience. If you attend you will be among a group of people that will have 100% participation, no one there is unsure about what they want. You also will work with some of the smartest people in the industry through the Resident program.
  - skaevola 13y ago
    It's not an arbitrary social barrier, it's an inevitable economic one.
  - gruseom 13y ago
    Oh come on. It's obviously a scaling problem, not something "set up" to be evil.
- Jayschwa 13y ago
  Hacker School is free.
  - charlescearl 13y ago
    ...but room and board in NYC isn't...
    - milkshakes 13y ago
      This fact is not lost upon them. It's why they offer financial aid and scholarships.
    - pyvek 13y ago
      They do provide financial aid but it is only for females. :(
      - jckt 13y ago
        That's Etsy. They are by no means prohibiting financial aid for men.
    - Jayschwa 13y ago
      So? The Universe does not provide us free food and housing simply by virtue of existing. It's going to cost money to live anywhere. I don't see how this is Hacker School's problem though. Part of the experience is having a physical space to work in together. Right now, that space happens to be in NYC. The service Hacker School provides is free.
    - danielna 13y ago
      I'm in the summer batch. I put in my notice yesterday at work and saved for many months to have enough money to live in NYC and not starve. Attending hackerschool is not solely a matter of circumstance but intention. If you want something enough you'll do what you need to do in order to get it.
      - revx 13y ago
- avolcano 13y ago
  Erm, it's not really that exclusionary. It's just small because it has like eight people on staff and is still in its early stages. I mean, I'm in Hacker School this batch (which is sadly ending this week) and I live in a hostel in Bed-Stuy for $650/mo. You don't have to be rich. Certainly way cheaper than college tuition for me.

So jealous!!

Seems like it's in the category of things like going to Paris to learn advanced culinary skills...the kind of thing that you typically only have the resources to do if you're either extremely wealthy or have the Leo Batuta/young-Steve-Jobs detachment to eschew comforts in search of a higher goal. Perhaps that's who they're looking for?

Evbn 13y ago
Right, it is artificial social barriers set up to exclude the many for the benefit of the few, like the "Ivy League" imprimatur or being in a "good family".
- charlescearl 13y ago
  At least in the Ivy's you can in principle get a scholarship, part time work to sustain you, or gasp take out a lifetime loan, this requires a bit more thought...maybe there's kickstarter funding...hey maybe Peter N. can subsidize a deserving Hacker?
  - stephencanon 13y ago
    The Ivies give out financial aid packages far more generous than most other schools. There are all sorts of ways in which they are exclusive, but affordability (for American students, at least) is not one of them.
  - lfranchi 13y ago
    Hacker School is 4 days a week (at least this batch and last batch). You can definitely work part time during HS. I worked during the last batch of hacker school, and as a commenter above says, it's possible to live (he's doing it!) in NYC paying $650/mo in rent. That doesn't look like an arbitrary social barrier designed to exclude the many to me. MOOCs are still there, and still awesome.
    - charlescearl 13y ago
      It does seem like there are probably lots of formal and informal ways of getting someone there if they've got the potential and desire. That's really good to know!
  - Sean-Der 13y ago
    HackerSchool does give out scholarships already to some. Also someone did run a kickstarter to get funding for their expenses in NY, and it met the funding goal almost overnight. Hacker School is a one of a kind experience. If you attend you will be among a group of people that will have 100% participation, no one there is unsure about what they want. You also will work with some of the smartest people in the industry through the Resident program.
- skaevola 13y ago
  It's not an arbitrary social barrier, it's an inevitable economic one.
- gruseom 13y ago
  Oh come on. It's obviously a scaling problem, not something "set up" to be evil.
Jayschwa 13y ago
Hacker School is free.
- charlescearl 13y ago
  ...but room and board in NYC isn't...
  - milkshakes 13y ago
    This fact is not lost upon them. It's why they offer financial aid and scholarships.
  - pyvek 13y ago
    They do provide financial aid but it is only for females. :(
    - jckt 13y ago
      That's Etsy. They are by no means prohibiting financial aid for men.
  - Jayschwa 13y ago
    So? The Universe does not provide us free food and housing simply by virtue of existing. It's going to cost money to live anywhere. I don't see how this is Hacker School's problem though. Part of the experience is having a physical space to work in together. Right now, that space happens to be in NYC. The service Hacker School provides is free.
  - danielna 13y ago
    I'm in the summer batch. I put in my notice yesterday at work and saved for many months to have enough money to live in NYC and not starve. Attending hackerschool is not solely a matter of circumstance but intention. If you want something enough you'll do what you need to do in order to get it.
    - revx 13y ago
avolcano 13y ago
Erm, it's not really that exclusionary. It's just small because it has like eight people on staff and is still in its early stages. I mean, I'm in Hacker School this batch (which is sadly ending this week) and I live in a hostel in Bed-Stuy for $650/mo. You don't have to be rich. Certainly way cheaper than college tuition for me.