the man who snuck into the ivy league without paying a thing - the atlantic

3/8/2015 TheManWhoSnuckIntotheIvyLeagueWithoutPayingaThingTheAtlantic

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JOEPINSKER MAR52015,12:54PMET

IfyouwanttostarttakingclassesatanIvyLeagueuniversityunenrolledandundetected,saysGuillaumeDumas,a28yearoldCanadian,startwithbiglecturecourses.Ifyoumustsitinonasmallerseminarclass,itsimportanttoshowupconsistentlystartingwiththefirstsession,insteadofhalfwaythroughthesemester.Also,oneofthebestalibisisthatyoureenrolledasaliberalartsstudent.That'sthekindofprogramthat'sfilledwitheverythingandthatyouexpectpeopletobeabitweird,abitconfusedaboutwhattheydo,hesays.

From2008to2012,DumasclaimshedidstintsonanumberofeliteNorthAmericanuniversitiesYale,Brown,UCBerkeley,Stanford,andMcGill,tonameafewsittinginonclasses,attendingparties,andlivingnearcampusasifhewereanenrolledstudent.Thisdeceptionmaysoundlikealeaduptoatruecrimestory,butDumassexploitsappeartobeharmless,doneinaspiritofcuriosity."Alotofstudentsareboredinclass,"heobserves,"soifyouparticipate,ifyouaskquestions,ifyouaregenuinelyinterestedintheclass,Ithinktheteacherwilllikeyou."

TheManWhoSnuckIntotheIvyLeagueWithoutPayingaThingGuillaumeDumasattendedclasses,madefriends,andnetworkedonsomeofAmerica'smostprestigiouscampusesforfree.Whatdoesthissayaboutthevalueofadiploma?

GuillaumeDumas,a28yearoldwhoattendedclassesatseveralcampuses,includingYale,Stanford,andBrown,forfree(GuillaumeDumas)



Yale'sfulltuitionworksouttoalittleover$7,000permonth,whichmeansDumaswasgettingmostoftheexperienceataboutatenthofthecost.

Canadiploma'scomponentpartslearning,socializing,networkingbeunbundled?Ifso,whatwouldremain?

IbecameinterestedinDumasstaleafterheemailedmethreeweeksago,butIwasskeptical,asIwouldbeofanyoutofthebluenotepromisingajuicystory.EvenasIwentaboutconfirmingwhathetoldmetalkingtostudentshedmet,askingforpicturesofhimoncampusIdidntfindanythingtodisprovewhathewassaying.Thefactsofhisstorywerenotimplausible.

Moreimportantly,theconceptofhisstorywasn'timplausibleeither:Astuitioncostshave

skyrocketed,itmakessensethatpeoplemighttrytosiphonoffsomeofthebenefitsofcollegewithoutpaying.WhilethespecificsofwhatDumastoldmemaybehardtoconfirm,thefactremainsthatayoungadultcouldconceivablyinfiltrateacollegecampuswithoutpayingtuition.Whatmightthissayaboutthemonetaryvalueofadiploma?Andcanitscomponentpartslearning,socializing,networkingbeunbundled?Ifso,whatwouldremain?

Accordingtohisfriends,Dumasissomethingofafreespirit,andasateenagerwasrarelyseenwithouthislongboard.Hisparentsdidn'tinsistthathegotocollege,butDumassayshebeganhishighereducationbecausehethoughthewantedtobeapsychologist.HeenrolledatacitycollegeinhisnativeQuebecinthemidaughts.Istartedcollegeat19,andIdidthatbecausethat'swhateverybodydoes,hesays.Hestartedonanacademictracktoearnadegreeinpsychology,buthewastoointellectuallyomnivoroustostickwithasinglediscipline.

Sohebegantakingclassesinwhichhewasn'tenrolled.Iwasjustsneakingintoclassroomsinliteratureandphilosophyandpolisciandevenpsychiatry,hesays.Soon,sittinginonclasseshewasn'tsignedupforstartedtofeelnatural.Ijustfoundouthowtodoit.Whentohide.Whatkindofalibitohaveortobehavewithotherstudentswhattotell,whatnottotell,hesays.Heerredonthesideofstayingsecretive.

Dumasstartedtakingclassesatothercampusesnearby:ConcordiaUniversity,UniversityofMontreal,andMcGillUniversity.Hestartedthinkingbigger.Providence,RhodeIsland,thehomeofBrownUniversity,wasfewerthansixhoursawaybycar,andNewHavenwasntmuchfarther.Dumassayshe



Theperceivedvalueofadiplomaissohighthat50,000fakePh.D.sarepurchasedintheU.S.everyyear.

attendedYaleinthespringof2009,couchsurfingforaboutamonth,andhespenttimeatBrowntoo.Hesayshewastakingclassesandspendingonlyafewhundreddollarsamonth,mostofitonalcoholforparties.WhenhelaterwenttoUCBerkeley,wherehelivedatacampuscoopforabouttwomonths,hisexpenseswerelarger$600or$700amonth,inhisestimation.Whileattheseschools,hereapedmostoftheperksofcollege:learning,partying,andmeetingintelligent,likemindedpeople.

FulltuitionatYaleforthe20142015schoolyear,whichincludesroom,board,andbooks,is$63,250.Thisbreaksdowntoalittleover$7,000permonthduringYalesacademicschoolyear,whichmeansDumaswasgettingmostofthesellingpointsofcollegeataboutatenthofthecost.AtBerkeley,averagetuition(whichincludesinstateandoutofstatestudents)isabout$28,000,butthatstillworksouttomorethan$3,000permonth.Ofcourse,manystudentsatbothcollegesreceivesomeformoffinancialaid,butthesearethestickerpricesofdiplomasthere,andmanystudentspaytheminfull.(Thisisespeciallytrueofinternationalstudents,whohaveamuchhardertimequalifyingforfinancialaidpackages.)

RepresentativesfromsomeoftheschoolsDumasattendedsaidthathisstoryisquiterare,thoughnotunheardof.AspokespersonfromStanfordsaidthatastudentwouldbeaskedtoleavecampusifheorshewasattendingclasswithoutauthorization,butadded,Stanfordhasarelativelysmallstudentbodyandacloseknitstudentcommunity.Itwouldbechallengingforsomeonetogounnoticed.YalesspokespersonsaidthatsomeonelikeDumaswouldbetrespassing,andnotedthathecouldinsteadtakesomeofthefreecoursesYaleoffersonline.

OllivierDyens,deputyprovostofstudentlifeandlearningatMcGill,explainedwhyhisuniversitywasntworriedaboutthissortofactivity.Notalotofpeoplewillgothroughallofthiswithouthavingsomesortofcredentialsattachedtoit,hesays.Dyensisright:Mostpeoplegotocollegeprimarilytogetapieceofpaper,andlearningissomethingthathappensincidentally.Theperceivedvalueofadiplomaissohigh,infact,that50,000fakePh.D.s

areestimatedtobepurchasedeveryyear,afigureonlymademorestrikingbythefactthatannually,only40,000Ph.D.sarelegitimatelyearned.

ButaccordingtoDumas,oneofthebestperksofcollegethatsavailableforfree



isthenetworking.Ithinkmorethananythingitsmeetingpeople.It'scontacts.It'ssocialcapital.ThekindofpeopleImetinBerkeleyorinYale,Idon'tknowanywhereelseintheworldwithsomanysmart,coolopenminded,crazypeoplecanbeconcentrated,hesays.Andwhenyouthinkofallthedropoutsrightnowthatstartcompaniesandstuff,it'sallpeoplethatdidn'tneedadiploma,thatdidn'tneedtopayanything.Theywenttoschooltoopentheirmindsandmeetfriends,ormeetstrategypartners,orsomethinglikethat.

Fromthisvantagepoint,adiplomastartstolookalotlikeareceiptprintedonfinecardstock.Itisproofnotthatonehaslearnedsomethingincollege,butthatonehaspaidforit.Withoutadiploma,howcanDumasprovetoanyoneapotentialemployer,orevenmethathesundergoneanintellectuallystimulatingexperience?

Butthesedays,youdontneedadegreetobecomewildlysuccessful,asMarkZuckerbergandcountlessotheryoungentrepreneurshavedemonstrated.ResearchersattheFederalReserveBankofNewYorkandMITfoundthatwhatmattersmorethananythingelseinajobapplicationiswhetherthecandidateknowssomeoneatthecompany.

Dumashimselfstartedadatingservicecateredtowardupscaleclientele,andhesaysitgiveshimadependableincome.Theresneverbeensomanycareerorbusinessopportunitiesintheworldthatdontrequireaproperdiploma,hesays.HisthinkingalignswithskepticssuchasPeterThiel,whoseeponymousfellowshipgrantsyoungpeople$100,000topursuebusinessventuresinsteadofstudyingatauniversity.

Atthesametime,thebenefitsofacollegediplomaarestarklyapparent.AsofJanuary,theunemploymentratesforAmericanswhohadntfinishedhighschoolwas8.5percent.Forthosewhohadfinishedhighschoolbutnottheirsecondaryeducation,itwas5.4percent.Butamongcollegegrads,thisfigurewasonly2.8percent.Thereistheoftenciteddisparityinearningsaswell:In2012,youngadultswithoutahighschooldegreeearnedamedianincomeof$22,900,whilethosewithahighschooldegreeearned$30,000andthosewithacollegedegreeearned$46,900.

Dumasadmitsthathisapproachwouldn'tworkifeveryonedidit.Buthedoesbelievethatitcouldworkforsomepeople(justnotthosewhoneedtheirdegreestofunctionastechnicalcertificationsorlicenses,likeengineersordoctors).Theremightbeabetterinterestinnotpayingtuitionandkeepingthatmoneytotraveltheworldandlaunchabusinessthanhavingyourdiplomainphilosophy



from,Idon'tknow,JohnsHopkins,Dumassays.

Hedoesntknowwhetherhisideacouldtrulybescaled,butestimatesthat5,000or10,000peoplecouldfollowhisleadandgoundetected.Imean,wewouldnotnotice,hesays.Theywilljustdisappearinthehugeinstitution.

the man who snuck into the ivy league without paying a thing - the atlantic

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