<p>Re: Thiel fellowship</p>
<p>A student who “drops out of college” (i.e. formally withdraws while in good standing) can typically resume later relatively easily, so if whatever venture s/he does on the Thiel fellowship or otherwise is not successful, s/he can just return to college and complete his/her degree. Withdrawal in good standing is typically not an irrevocable action.</p>
<p>Yes, there may be headlines like “Thiel encourages students to drop out of college”, but that leaves out the nuance that the Thiel-funded startup is more like a gap year(s) or extended co-op job during one’s college years. Of course, if it is stupendously successful, the Thiel fellow may not return, but most startups are not, so odds are that many of the Thiel fellows go back to school afterward.</p>