Getting a university degree was once seen as a useful path to a lucrative career. Yet high tuition fees are deterring many, especially given that employers are increasingly looking beyond academics, instead considering a range of other factors. So is the traditional degree a thing of the past?

Sleeping in, driving around town and going to the beach – this is what American summers are made of. Or at least they used to be. Today’s hyper-driven teens don’t have time to be lazy, instead optimising their vacations and college applications with summer jobs, internships and enrichment courses.

From Coasties to K-Poppers, the US is home to a range of teen subcultures. In the third of a series exploring Gen Z and Gen Y tribes, Andrea Graham Richeson delves into the overscheduled world of Alpha Achievers. Do these ambitious teens embody the model student and future star employee?

A third of college admissions officers now routinely check applicants' social media posts. In response, students are ‘scrubbing’ their accounts in their senior year to ensure their Twitter feed line-up with the best self they are peddling in their application.