[Protronie]

I been reading this and noticed that there seems to be a thought that everyone must go to college. Not everyone is cut out for college. You also seem to be assuming that everyone in FIRST will be wanting to be an engineer...
Now hold off with the tar and feathers a moment.
Theres nothing wrong with going to a college and getting a degree.
But there are plenty of young folks that for them these top level colleges are just out of reach. They may come from broken homes with heavy financial burdens ect...
Some young folks need to go right into the work force ASAP. These same people
could/are are great asset to a FIRST team.
There is no substitute for experience... all your grades and book learning is well and good but until you've actually gotten you hands dirty and muscles sore you don't really know much.
I've worked in many different industries. My grades in school were dismal and yeah I do wish I had spent more time in class and less on the road but...
There is always a place for a jack of all trades that has more experience under his belt that paper hanging on his walls.
To think that someone would be excluded from getting his hands dirty, or knuckles bruised working on a robot just cause he/she is a less than honor roll or straight A/B student is a sad thing. Theres more to building and working with robots or any machine that the programing.
Going by some of the requirements stated here none of the kids I work with would ever have a chance to be on a FIRST team. But these same young folks may just end up being the ones to fix your cars, work on the machines in your factories, and build the roads you drive on.
Should they be excluded for FIRST just cause the book learning comes hard for them? Or the fact they need work part time at Mc D's just to help their mom pay the bills?

Just my 2 cents on this... take it or leave it.