>For all the company knows, I (and countless others) could be the best developers they'd ever meet. And yet we're automatically excluded from even applying.
The game is about probability, not possibility. The assumption is:
P(qualified | degree) > P(qualified | no degree)
That's probably reasonable, since schools do filter out at least some idiots. To find a candidate, one must interview roughly 1/P candidates. If interview costs are high (e.g., face time is precious), you want as many easy filters as you can get.
This is especially true if you don't trust HR to properly find the "diamonds in the rough" (I certainly wouldn't).
The game is about probability, not possibility. The assumption is:
P(qualified | degree) > P(qualified | no degree)
That's probably reasonable, since schools do filter out at least some idiots. To find a candidate, one must interview roughly 1/P candidates. If interview costs are high (e.g., face time is precious), you want as many easy filters as you can get.
This is especially true if you don't trust HR to properly find the "diamonds in the rough" (I certainly wouldn't).