Palantir Technologies is wrapping up the first stage of an experiment that puts a controversial thesis to the test: Skip college, go straight to work, and see if the old higher-ed path still matters. As the Wall Street Journal explains, the first class of 22 recent high school graduates are finishing up what the software company calls a "Meritocracy Fellowship" this month. Those who do well will be offered full-time work at the data analytics firm, without having taken even a single college class.
"College is broken," declared a Palantir post on LinkedIn seeking applicants for the fellowship earlier this year, per Entrepreneur. "Admissions are based on flawed criteria. Meritocracy and excellence are no longer the pursuits of educational institutions." The fellowship is the brainchild of CEO Alex Karp, who says he no longer has faith that US universities are adequately preparing grads. The company implored applicants to "skip the debt" and "get the Palantir degree." There's no word yet on how many of the 22 inaugural fellows will stay on with company.
The Journal story offers details on what the fellowship has entailed, and they may surprise those who pictured full immersion into the world of tech. For starters, the students went through an intensive four-week seminar covering everything from Western history, to US culture, to leadership case studies, and even improv (to improve their quick-thinking skills). After the seminar, fellows were dropped into Palantir teams, working on real client projects across industries from health care to defense. "We felt obligated to provide more than the average internship," says the company's Jordan Hirsch. "They're really still kids, right?"
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