drewmate

Hi Amna, thanks for being here!

What are Mark Shields and David Brooks like off camera? I imagine them to be really good buddies constantly cracking wise from a balcony overlooking the set. Can you confirm?

You're right, perhaps a 2-day campus visit would be more appropriate.

I'm glad to hear that. They seem so professional and thoughtful (like everyone on NewsHour.) I really appreciated their recent discussion with Judy Woodruff on the wider implications of the Kavanaugh hearings and what it reveals about the almost tribal divisions in public life.

Keep up the great work! I wish more people included NewsHour as a large part of their media diet.

I think the percentages could not scale linearly as you set out in your example since that's not how [the time value of money](works). Intuitively, this makes sense as well: if I make $100,000 every year for the rest of my career, would you rather have $45k right now, $15k for each of the next 3 years, or $1k a year from now until I retire?

Granted, your salary could grow, and interest rates affect the time value of money, so MissionU could conceivably come up with a schedule that is fair (or at least financially equivalent), but I think a major point of their program is that those 3 years are years you are earning money and gaining work experience rather than attending college. After that, you are just like a college graduate (except without an actual degree... 🙁)

That's a fair point; I was being snarky but I appreciate your sincere response. I suppose people generally have options for how to pursue higher education, and a nearby state school seems to be among the most rational. For a lot of Americans, however, college is a rite of passage that involves moving out of the parental home, sometimes to a different state, and committing to 4 very expensive years. Often this commitment is made on the flimsy basis of a few brochures, a football team, and an afternoon walking around campus with a sophomore.

I wouldn't say that MissionU is a better choice for most or even anyone, but it certainly couldn't hurt to have more choices. For a highly motivated 18 year old, I'd say that 15% of 3 years' income (that they presumably wouldn't have earned while in college anyway) could pale in comparison to the leg up they gain in experience by working for those years. As for whether employers are ready to accept a non-credentialed employee, I think we've got some years to go on that front.