I worry sometimes about our current culture's fascination with on-paper achievements and crafting lives around the perfect college essay -- ironic given the point of the Thiel Fellowship from what I understand. Have we replaced climbing the 80's corporate ladder with the hyperyuppies of 2011? Are there organizations that foster self-discovery, even to the detriment of relentless productivity and 'hustle?' To me, a hacker seeks nothing short of enlightenment.
The Theil Fellowship is a perfect example of ranking on meaningless achievements. Like you said, the perfect college essay—but I'd be willing to put money on the guess that no real innovation will come out of the program.
A real hacker doesn't polish college essays. A real hacker actually creates stuff. If they must apply to something, I think they'd be far more successful going through Y Combinator.
It seems to me that the entire point of the program is to foster self discovery, albeit in a specific area that a recipient has demonstrated aptitude in. Personally, I've discovered far more about myself leading a startup than I did in college.
