<p>Coureur:</p>
<p>I'm sure you know my query was tongue-in-cheek. I was in Classics from 6</p>
<p>^^Yes, I knew you were kidding.</p>
<p>My S was on the 7 1/2 year plan at Harvard. He took a leave of absence after 3 semesters to start a company with an older student together with guidance from profs at the Law and Business Schools. At the time he left, Harvard students were prohibited from running businesses in their dorm rooms. He might've been able to establish and run this company while attending classes but decided to focus entirely on the company. DH and I were hesitant re: this path but we supported his decision. We hoped he would return to school as he loves learning but this opportunity presented itself, largely as an outgrowth of an extracurricular activity. We believe that he was tired of following the structure inherent in high school and then to a lesser degree in college. We aslo feel he wanted to set his own projects, goals, objectives, and timetables outside of the school setting. When he did finally return to Harvard, it was partially due to the fact that the other major founder of his company entered Harvard Law School after a three-year deferral (would've been required to reapply). S returned to classes with enthusiasm despite being three and a half years older than kids in his study groups and labs and graduated with honors in both his concentrations. Will he become a millionaire? Probably not. But the skills he has learned through his business are invaluable and will serve him well in life.
We doubt he would've mastered some of these skills in the college classroom.</p>