There is enough data to indicate that the primary function of elite universities is to signal that those they admit are motivated enough and smart enough to ach

There is enough data to indicate that the primary function of elite universities is to signal that those they admit are motivated enough and smart enough to achieve success, for their definition of success. What they do post-admission in the university has little relevance to what they do in their professional lives. These latest trends at Stanford are simply a logical extension of this truth. In this scenario, Stanford is simply a richer version of Y Combinator. What this means is that in the rush to make more money and get more startups going, perhaps more meaningful things will be de-emphasized. The bright student on entering the school gets the unspoken message that founding a tech startup is more prized than say building the groundwork for bio research, or questioning and trying to change society, or perhaps investigating dark matter. If other universities followed Stanford's lead, we could end up with a world where many individuals will individually be monetarily richer, but one in which we could all collectively end up less rich in knowledge and meaning.