The condensed programs have exploded in popularity. As of this spring, 26 U.S. states have a college that offers at least one reduced-credit, three-year bachelor's, according to the nonprofit research group RAND.
lon Musk, Alex Karp and Peter Thiel are challenging the four-year degree as the default path for elite talent—and, in some cases, building their own alternatives.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon asked all university presidents and governing boards to address a series of questions and "describe to the American public your commitments to rigorous teaching, pathbreaking research and national service."
For years, the college essay prompts have asked for a far too familiar story: a challenge you overcame, a person who shaped you, a belief you challenged and so on.
