‘ people who were able to achieve greatness in Torah despite their involvement in secular studies are the “ma’aseh satan”‘
Rambam was the ma’aseh satan???? Well, I do recall that people did burn his books.
“it is dangerous for us to pursue it until we are armed and ready with a Torah foundation”
This may well be true! If you look at the many pre-20th century university-educated gedolim I have listed, every single one was a talmid chacham *prior* to embarking on university education. And
19 year olds are indeed very susceptible to the latest intellectual fads and will rationalize almost anything in an try to make it (incorrectly) fit into their worldview. That so many educated frum Jews espouse political and economic philosophies that owe more to Ayn Rand than to Moshe Rabbeinu is one example of this. I personally think most students would do well to wait before embarking on university studies.
However, it should also be pointed out that the YU/Touro/Bar Ilan models have clearly produced gedolim. For example, Rav Schachter and Rav Lichtenstein have undergraduate degrees from YU.