What would you recommend to a high schooler debating to go to college?

Success is the result of many factors, but education and effort are chief among them. It is certainly possible to be successful without a degree, but you run a great risk by turning down the opportunity to get an education.

Take a look at some of the data comparing college graduates to high school graduates. Having a degree makes you more than 3 times less likely to be unemployed: http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/02/11/the-rising-cost-of-not-going-to-college/

I hesitate to share some of this with you, because it paints a bleak picture. But I feel it's important to encourage you to pursue your education as much as possible.

First, I'd recommend my old standby -- take a Personality Assessment Survey test, like, for example, RIASEC. These tests are simply questionnaires whose result will tell you which among many careers does your personality profile match those in those careers that are both happy and successful. Might was well take advantage of a proven technology to see how happy you'd be. It's entertaining and sometimes surprising.

The other thing is to determine if you really should attend college. In recent decades, the idea was that to be successful and get a good-paying job, college degrees were necessary. This resulted in several negative things. First, you had students in college who were miserable and unsuccessful. Second, you had students in college taking courses that no one was interested in hiring them to use. Third, you had students saddled with lots of debt. And fourth, you had a dearth of skilled tradespeople that society can really use. And often paid quite well. When you have that much brainpower being channelled so inefficiently, it harms everyone -- especially people like the gifted carpenter sitting in an office doing something that bores the living snot out of them.

This is a really good question to be asking! Here is what I would say. A 4 year degree is great, but it isn't great for everybody. Some people are well suited for a bachelor's degree, while for some, a 2 year's associate's degree is a better fit, or even trade school! Consider the type of job you want to do in the long term, and how much you like learning in a traditional academic setting. If you're more hands on, think about going to a trade school to develop a specific set of skills. If you're more academically inclined, consider a 2 or 4 year degree program. There is not one right answer for everybody, but in general, I would recommend some kind of education beyond high school. Talk to your HS guidance counselor for more direction!