Forget college: Palantir wants to hire you right after high school.

Palantir Technologies is taking an unconventional approach to workforce development by targeting recent high school graduates for its innovative Meritocracy Fellowship. Launched this past Monday in New York City, this unique internship program aims to attract 18-year-olds who are eager to dive straight into a tech career, bypassing the traditional college route entirely. The first cohort of the Meritocracy Fellowship saw over 500 applicants, with 22 participants currently engaged in the program. According to Marge York, Palantir's head of talent, a significant number of these fellows are expected to receive full-time job offers upon completion in December. The upcoming second cohort, scheduled to run from August to December 2026, will offer a monthly stipend of $5,400. The initiative reflects a growing skepticism surrounding the necessity of a college degree in the tech industry, paralleling an increasing trend of young entrepreneurs emerging from Silicon Valley. Palantir's CEO, Alex Karp, who holds both a bachelor's and a Ph.D., has voiced criticisms of the traditional educational system, which he describes as an "industrial complex" designed to keep students in a prolonged cycle of prerequisites and debt. In the selection process for the fellowship, York emphasizes the importance of "true diversity of thought." She seeks candidates who not only possess intelligence but also demonstrate qualities like technical proficiency, maturity, and a proactive mindset. Successful applicants are often hands-on creators and builders, standing out from their peers. Candidates should prepare for rigorous technical assessments and reflective questions about their choice to forgo college. Many fellows in the first cohort showcased coding skills that surpassed those of some recent college graduates hired by Palantir. The program also includes a blend of educational experiences, reminiscent of a humanities course, featuring required readings, discussions, and guest lectures from influential figures, such as Bob McGrew from OpenAI and Edward Wittenstein from Yale University. This curriculum aims to cultivate critical thinking and the ability to engage with diverse ideas. Once selected, fellows are integrated into customer-facing and software engineering teams, performing tasks typical of full-time employees. While the program has faced scrutiny from peers who advocate for traditional college education, Karp welcomes this skepticism, asserting that the pressure on universities to adapt is significant. He believes that scaling the program could challenge the very foundations of the higher education system, stating, "Every single system is parasitic. Our job is to break that."