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Comment by gjmacd | Hacker News Reader

"The candidates must be between 18 and 30 years of age (18 - 45 in Silicon Valley).[14] No previous diploma is required."

Age discrimination at its best. Cap it at 45?

How many people over 30 (45 in the US) are trying to retool and get educated on programming?

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The older copy of the US site at https://web.archive.org/web/20180206011840/https://www.42.us... is very clear: "I AM NOT BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 30. CAN I COME TO 42? No. While we do not have anything against those who are over 30 years old, when opening a new location, we have decided to concentrate our where they can be the most efficient and where we have a great deal of experience."

On the current site this is changed to: "You can apply to 42 if you’re older than 45, but please know that most students here are younger and that Intensive Basic Training is tiring."

Hardly encouraging.

The french site http://www.42.fr/ says "ouverte à tous et accessible aux 18-30 ans" (18-30 only)

Draw your own conclusions about age discrimination here. You are free to apply...

Have you tried applying to a publicly funded phd program or med school @age > 45?

I don't know about PhD, but I know several who went to med school after the age of 40. Lots of weird midlife crises out there.

I know I could see myself wanting a PhD if I suddenly made enough money to finance the rest of my life.

No comment about the age cap but I've witnessed a lot of people (especial those with H4 visas) who are over 30, coming here without programming background, going to local CalState schools for an MS in CS/Stats, most of them were able to find job after graduation. The high living cost in the Bay Area is the motivation, it's difficult to raise a family with only 1 income

Well I guess it’s mostly because in France there is a difference between young and adult formations.

As you might know, in France, we are good at taxation. One for the companies is for « formation continue », which is for adults formation.

For example, you work in a company and ask them to get a formation in a particular subject. If it suits the company they can pay it for you, and it costs them less than the tuition because it’s paid in part by the state (with the tax I mentioned).

So there are a lot of private « schools » dedicated to adult formation, in general separated from the « classic » student cursus.

As another poster verified with information from the actual 42 site, there is no age ceiling for prospective students for the 42 Silicon Valley campus.

This school is for free, and to educate the next generation of students, why do you have to complain?

Because there're laws against age discrimination in US.

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