<p>Adgeek is absolutely right. Spec columnists often write ridiculous and somewhat irreverent pieces (see the recent one that purported to link the move to the Common App with the final approval of the Manhattanville expansion), but the idea contained in this piece is just plain wrong. Just as different cultures have practices that seem similar, but actually serve very different purposes, so different times accord vastly different significance to institutions that appear to be the same. The “Columbia” that existed in the 18th century, and even the mid-20th century, was very different from the Columbia that exists now. You didn’t need a college degree to be successful then the way you do now. </p>
<p>Sure, even in the 21st century, some celebrities and entrepreneurs “drop out” of elite colleges after a few years, but they are few and far between. The majority of college drop-outs are those at community colleges and massive state school systems who end up dropping out either because they cannot handle the workload or because they need to enter the workforce. The average college drop-out is not Mark Zuckerberg, and certainly not Theodore Roosevelt, and it’s dishonest and potentially counterproductive to pretend that they are. I don’t begrudge the Spec columnists for trying to have some fun, but it’s important to keep in mind the reality that exists outside the Columbia bubble.</p>