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At my current client, a large grocery company, our 19-year-old intern just went back to school. He was a highly motivated, intelligent, hard-working, socially awkward employee. The IT project manager really liked him and tried to convince him to come back next summer and after he graduated. The intern wouldn’t even take a loaner laptop to work part-time from school. I heard he vowed never to return to this company again.

According to some of my co-workers, he probably could have quit school and taken a full time job. They proceeded to name several manager level employees who don’t have a college degree.

What’s the point?

The intern currently attends the University of Toledo. I don’t know what the school’s national rankings are but I would bet it is at most a regional stand out. How many people in Colorado are thinking, “I hope I get into U of Toledo”? I’d guess not many.

So, does it matter if you go to Harvard or Missouri College in St. Louis as long as you get a good internship?

You’re probably thinking, the college you attend determines where you can get an internship. That may be true, but if you are intelligent and apply to enough good internships, you’re bound to get a few responses. Then, impress your employer and the sky is the limit. What’s more important, the classes you take at school or the experience you gained actually working? I vote for your internship experience.

There is probably a glass ceiling if you don’t have a college education. I’m not advocating quitting school to take a full-time job. But, a manager in this grocery chain (top 10% of the S&P 500) probably makes at least $100K a year. That’s nothing to sneeze at when you are living in suburban middle America and not a major city with a high cost of living. You could always finish your degree while you work (requires lots of motivation).

So, is it worth spending an arm and a leg and going into several years of debt to attend a highly ranked college? Or can you do just as well finding a good internship or two, working hard, and not have to be paying for school at the age of 30?

Full disclosure: I went to a highly ranked public college which my parents paid for. Also, I was lazy and didn’t have any true internships while at school. The above opinions are mine and mine alone.