Economists predict that companies will be increasingly willing to hire people based on their skills, not their college degree. Currently there are several companies including big names like Apple, IBM, and Google, that are hiring applicants who have the specific skills the seek, however they were acquired. So college bound students need to ask themselves what THEY want to gain from their college years, what opportunities will that experience afford that they can’t get in any other way, and how are they going to make the most of their time in college. If a non-degree candidate can get the same job four years earlier and without carrying debt, the process of getting a college degree needs to be more than just an ends to creating a strong resume.