Not to say all college dropped outs are influential, but many influential people are college dropped outs.  They knew what they wanted to do before wearing the graduation hoods.  On the other hand, many who wore the hoods still searching for what they want to do in life.  The speech of Steve Jobs lent me a different pair of glasses to look at college.  Passion, rather than college degree, is the major ingredient of excellence.  

http://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/june15/jobs-061505.html

Steve Jobs, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc., and CEO of Pixar Animation Studio.  Died on Oct. 5th, 2011, aged 56.