February 19, 1999

How Practical Experience Can Help Revitalize Our Tired Model of Undergraduate Education

By RICHARD M. FREELAND

Something remarkable is happening among undergraduates that should command our attention. Consider these trends:

* A generation ago, most bachelor's-degree recipients from elite institutions such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton went directly to graduate school for some form of professional training. Today, those same universities send most of their students directly into the job market. Recent data and