Do Prestigious Schools Matter for Future Success?

[Anonymous]

Drive and grit are more likely to lead to success in almost any field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Attending the top law school, I noticed that there were lots of students who had come from all sorts of colleges and universities. Just graduating from HYPS doesn't get you that far unless you work hard and are talented.

Yup!! And many who attend HYPS would have had similar connections thru parents, relatives and family friends no matter where they went to college. Otherwise, it's 99% about what you do while you are at college and beyond.

And for someone who says "well Harvard Law is a much higher percentage of students from T25 undergrads", well that's simply because those are the kids who grow up with wealth and thinking, I'm going to Harvard Law. Your average kid at U Minnesota or U South Dakota is thinking "what law school can I attend that I won't be in debt up to my eyeballs until I'm 40", not thinking Harvard Law.

And those who do get into Harvard Law from Non-Elite schools were most likely kids with a resume for Elite undergrad but who chose to attend elsewhere. Or a smart kid who excelled in college (a bit more than in HS). But the average Joe is thinking about a local state Law School that is more affordable, and might allow them to live at home while attending

This made me laugh because I vividly remember the Chair of my philosophy department telling me I needed to apply to Harvard Law (decades ago), and I was like, "Are you kidding? The application fee is $75!!!" I literally didn't have an extra $75 to burn on a gamble.

[Anonymous]

No, but if you’re really into being the biggest earner or in a well known field with power (politics/law) yes. There’s various millionaires from random schools, but it’s so much easier with Harvard behind your name. Becoming a politician or Supreme Court Justice is obviously obscenely rare, and those types of special people tend to go to ivies. If you are with the rest of (99.9% of society), it doesn’t matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ athletes at Ivies are shown to make $220k more than non-athletes.

Forbes magazine

Confidence? Or discipline? Or network?

My kid got in on academics and joined Varsity sophomore year. Goals and works very hard for them. I do think a lot of those characteristics matter.

Women CEOs are predominantly former college athletes.

Athletes at Ivies are likely to come from wealthier families.
Athletes at Ivies are much more likely to be white.
All else being equal, these two factors alone could account for at least that much of a difference in lifetime earnings.

WRONG !!!

Have you looked at the Harvard men's golf roster? 75% of them are Asians, and very likely WEALTHY. The Harvard women's golf roster is 85% Asians, very likely wealthy.

You need to look at all athletes. And Asians also earn more than average.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Prestige is a great substitute for talent. Ask me how I know

Sure. But prestige + talent is killer. Those who get in RD unhooked 3% acceptance rates

The question was about future success.

That's what I'm talking about. The kids that are naturally very smart AND hard workers. They got in on their own moxy and hard work---not a hook, not early, etc. Those types have a lot of future success as they keep working.

Gates, Bezos, Zuckerberg, Clinton, Obama where prestige met talent. Didn't come from privilege. Attended prestigious university, worked hard.

Gates, Zuckerberg and Obama all went to top private schools. Obama got into Occidental and later transferred to Columbia. Bezos went to River Oaks school for middle school which again is in an expensive part of Houston. So they all came from privilege.

Clinton went to Georgetown. Not one person on here from a non-target school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Drive and grit are more likely to lead to success in almost any field.

Including in college applications? If the drive and grit didn’t lead to a target school, was there really a drive and grit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest attended Ivies, and they were both jobless after graduation, and worked at Starbucks. My youngest DS was a D1 recruited athlete at UNC Chapel Hill, and he got a job in IB after graduation because the EVP was an alum at UNC. My DS was able to secure jobs for his older brother and sister because he contacted the EVP to help his siblings. Going to Ivies is not going to help you if you do not have the "right" connections. Therefore, in my children situation, it is a resounding NO. It is not how much you know but who you know, or who knows you.

UNC is ranked in the top 30...and with Duke, UVA, Stanford, and Vanderbilt it has a unique combination of top D1 athletics and prestige.

Something also tells me that the siblings wouldn't have been considered at all if they had attended say VCU

PP here. My DS was also able to secure a spot in the IB division for one of his cousins who attended GMU, just like he did for his older siblings. FWIW, I am an SES Fed, and I routinely reject Ivies candidates over candidates who attended JMU, VCU, or VT. It is because I know their parents, and I want to help them out. As I've said before, it is not going to do you any good if you attend a prestigious university, but you do not build any connections when you are there.

Whaaat?! You’re using taxpayer $$$ on nepotism? This is literally a fireable offense. Not to mention that you’re depriving the government of better performing talent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Drive and grit are more likely to lead to success in almost any field.

Including in college applications? If the drive and grit didn’t lead to a target school, was there really a drive and grit?

Many kids mature after 12th grade. My ds in HS was not as motivated as he is in college. He is doing great when it comes to getting the best internships and making use of other opportunities. Also, HS requires studying many subjects that might not interest kids whereas in the real world and college one can focus on what they like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Drive and grit are more likely to lead to success in almost any field.

Including in college applications? If the drive and grit didn’t lead to a target school, was there really a drive and grit?

What makes you think some rando AO is the determinant of drive and grit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Drive and grit are more likely to lead to success in almost any field.

Including in college applications? If the drive and grit didn’t lead to a target school, was there really a drive and grit?

Do you have a job? If so tell me about the backgrounds of the senior leaders at your company? I suspect you might be unemployed though and not too bright.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest attended Ivies, and they were both jobless after graduation, and worked at Starbucks. My youngest DS was a D1 recruited athlete at UNC Chapel Hill, and he got a job in IB after graduation because the EVP was an alum at UNC. My DS was able to secure jobs for his older brother and sister because he contacted the EVP to help his siblings. Going to Ivies is not going to help you if you do not have the "right" connections. Therefore, in my children situation, it is a resounding NO. It is not how much you know but who you know, or who knows you.

UNC is ranked in the top 30...and with Duke, UVA, Stanford, and Vanderbilt it has a unique combination of top D1 athletics and prestige.

Something also tells me that the siblings wouldn't have been considered at all if they had attended say VCU

PP here. My DS was also able to secure a spot in the IB division for one of his cousins who attended GMU, just like he did for his older siblings. FWIW, I am an SES Fed, and I routinely reject Ivies candidates over candidates who attended JMU, VCU, or VT. It is because I know their parents, and I want to help them out. As I've said before, it is not going to do you any good if you attend a prestigious university, but you do not build any connections when you are there.

Whaaat?! You’re using taxpayer $$$ on nepotism? This is literally a fireable offense. Not to mention that you’re depriving the government of better performing talent

+100, I’ve never seen someone so brazenly admit to something immoral just to make a point

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest attended Ivies, and they were both jobless after graduation, and worked at Starbucks. My youngest DS was a D1 recruited athlete at UNC Chapel Hill, and he got a job in IB after graduation because the EVP was an alum at UNC. My DS was able to secure jobs for his older brother and sister because he contacted the EVP to help his siblings. Going to Ivies is not going to help you if you do not have the "right" connections. Therefore, in my children situation, it is a resounding NO. It is not how much you know but who you know, or who knows you.

UNC is ranked in the top 30...and with Duke, UVA, Stanford, and Vanderbilt it has a unique combination of top D1 athletics and prestige.

Something also tells me that the siblings wouldn't have been considered at all if they had attended say VCU

PP here. My DS was also able to secure a spot in the IB division for one of his cousins who attended GMU, just like he did for his older siblings. FWIW, I am an SES Fed, and I routinely reject Ivies candidates over candidates who attended JMU, VCU, or VT. It is because I know their parents, and I want to help them out. As I've said before, it is not going to do you any good if you attend a prestigious university, but you do not build any connections when you are there.

Whaaat?! You’re using taxpayer $$$ on nepotism? This is literally a fireable offense. Not to mention that you’re depriving the government of better performing talent

+100, I’ve never seen someone so brazenly admit to something immoral just to make a point

I had assumed the "SES Fed" poster is a troll. I've seen that statement in this College forum before. It's just planted to get a rise out of people. Like that "Frustrated" thread with the mom who's "upset" that her B student is being rejected for transfer into a T25. Look how it's worded. Troll post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest attended Ivies, and they were both jobless after graduation, and worked at Starbucks. My youngest DS was a D1 recruited athlete at UNC Chapel Hill, and he got a job in IB after graduation because the EVP was an alum at UNC. My DS was able to secure jobs for his older brother and sister because he contacted the EVP to help his siblings. Going to Ivies is not going to help you if you do not have the "right" connections. Therefore, in my children situation, it is a resounding NO. It is not how much you know but who you know, or who knows you.

UNC is ranked in the top 30...and with Duke, UVA, Stanford, and Vanderbilt it has a unique combination of top D1 athletics and prestige.

Something also tells me that the siblings wouldn't have been considered at all if they had attended say VCU

PP here. My DS was also able to secure a spot in the IB division for one of his cousins who attended GMU, just like he did for his older siblings. FWIW, I am an SES Fed, and I routinely reject Ivies candidates over candidates who attended JMU, VCU, or VT. It is because I know their parents, and I want to help them out. As I've said before, it is not going to do you any good if you attend a prestigious university, but you do not build any connections when you are there.

Whaaat?! You’re using taxpayer $$$ on nepotism? This is literally a fireable offense. Not to mention that you’re depriving the government of better performing talent

+100, I’ve never seen someone so brazenly admit to something immoral just to make a point

I had assumed the "SES Fed" poster is a troll. I've seen that statement in this College forum before. It's just planted to get a rise out of people. Like that "Frustrated" thread with the mom who's "upset" that her B student is being rejected for transfer into a T25. Look how it's worded. Troll post.

Unfortunately, this is going on much more often than people want to admit. I work at a federal government financial regulatory agency, and it is happening so blatantly in my own division.

[Anonymous]

The local hospital CEO, in my hometown, went to no name Christian school in a state known for poor education. He makes over $2,000,000 a year. //// Governor in Oklahoma went to Oklahoma State University and has millions in the bank. /// Regional college graduates go into nursing, teaching, etc. and have solid careers. /// I have met doctors who went to no name private podunk college and graduate from medical school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The local hospital CEO, in my hometown, went to no name Christian school in a state known for poor education. He makes over $2,000,000 a year. //// Governor in Oklahoma went to Oklahoma State University and has millions in the bank. /// Regional college graduates go into nursing, teaching, etc. and have solid careers. /// I have met doctors who went to no name private podunk college and graduate from medical school.

DCUM is so dumb. They can't tell the difference between anecdotal and statistical evidence.