You're right, if all you are looking for is someone that can read a checklist, go "Weeeeeee" with the yoke and follow SOP in clear weather.

I'm sorry, when all of the above is not enough, I see many differences between experience, decision making, abilities and confidence. Not only in flight but in the sim as well.

These are all qualities that get tested, re-tested and tested again and increased over the course of a college curriculum.

If you think an aviation curriculum, along with all the other duties required for success, does not increase your decision making skills, cognative ability and situational awareness ( all of which is required at some level in the cockpit)......then you might as well say something as ridiculous as saying Michael Jordan was the most overrated basketball player ever.

FOR THOSE OF YOU TRYING TO MAKE A DECISION ON THIS MATTER, PLEASE STAY IN OR GO TO COLLEGE IT WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER PILOT CANDIDATE.

No matter what else happens to you, that is one thing that NOBODY will ever be able to take away from you.