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A properly handled honors/gifted/advanced high school course can be a great benefit. You seem to assume that those who would be in such a program want to start

A properly handled honors/gifted/advanced high school course can be a great benefit. You seem to assume that those who would be in such a program want to start a startup. Most people simply do not want to do that at all. Startup founders are a very small percentage of the population, and while it is growing it is likely to remain very small (and successful startup founders are a relatively small percentage of startup founders at that....) Even for those that do, few of them do or should have started work on the startup during high school. As to academia, there is certainly a correlation with people in those programs and people that go into academia, but I think the causal connection is relatively weak. And if they want to go into academia, that is not a bad thing. It is not a path I would choose, but it is not bad for many. As for your point about picking a major, I do not know about all programs, but the one I was in certainly did not discriminate against any majors. Even if it did, that would be a force easily resisted as soon as you left that program and went into an actual college. And for that matter, many people change majors at least once (went through 3). As a whole, they are beneficial to their students.

amichail 17y ago
You seem to assume that those who would be in such a program want to start a startup. A large number of people would like to make money on their own. Just look at the number of apps in the app store for example. Even for those that do, few of them do or should have started work on the startup during high school. Why would you say that? The brain is sufficiently developed at that point to create interesting products/services -- especially with gifted students.
- timwiseman 17y ago
  A large number of people would like to make money on their own. Just look at the number of apps in the app store for example. True, but putting out an app or two or doing a little consulting on the side is a far cry from starting a starting or being able to support yourself that way. I suspect that the number of people who do support themselves without a traditional employer will grow, but that will remain a small percentage (though slightly larger) for a very long time if not forever. Why would you say that? The brain is sufficiently developed at that point to create interesting products/services -- especially with gifted students. I agree, in fact I said something similar in my other response. But, again that is a far cry from starting a start up. There are two main reasons I think starting a startup during high school is a bad idea for most people: 1. Your inability to enter into a legally binding contract will limit your dealings with investors or any type of customer that require an ongoing relationship. 2. While I know some exceptions exist, most people have neither the technical nor people skills to start a company as a teenager. Even those that will wind up being mostly self taught require time to do it, and they simply have not had it yet. Again, I know there are exceptions, but they are few. After high school, those start to change. 1 changes instantly for legal reasons when you hit 18. 2 falls on more of a bell curve, but it will gradually start moving towards the tipping point sometime around then for a lot of people.

amichail 17y ago

You seem to assume that those who would be in such a program want to start a startup. A large number of people would like to make money on their own. Just look at the number of apps in the app store for example. Even for those that do, few of them do or should have started work on the startup during high school. Why would you say that? The brain is sufficiently developed at that point to create interesting products/services -- especially with gifted students.

timwiseman 17y ago
A large number of people would like to make money on their own. Just look at the number of apps in the app store for example. True, but putting out an app or two or doing a little consulting on the side is a far cry from starting a starting or being able to support yourself that way. I suspect that the number of people who do support themselves without a traditional employer will grow, but that will remain a small percentage (though slightly larger) for a very long time if not forever. Why would you say that? The brain is sufficiently developed at that point to create interesting products/services -- especially with gifted students. I agree, in fact I said something similar in my other response. But, again that is a far cry from starting a start up. There are two main reasons I think starting a startup during high school is a bad idea for most people: 1. Your inability to enter into a legally binding contract will limit your dealings with investors or any type of customer that require an ongoing relationship. 2. While I know some exceptions exist, most people have neither the technical nor people skills to start a company as a teenager. Even those that will wind up being mostly self taught require time to do it, and they simply have not had it yet. Again, I know there are exceptions, but they are few. After high school, those start to change. 1 changes instantly for legal reasons when you hit 18. 2 falls on more of a bell curve, but it will gradually start moving towards the tipping point sometime around then for a lot of people.