HYPSM/Elite School Alums - What has been the downside of your degree?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t go to an hypms but one potential downside is you are expected to continue that trajectory or people will wonder if your undergrad admission was a fluke or there is something wrong with you or that you didn’t live up to your potential. It’s a lot of pressure.

I think ppl do wonder if someone for example goes to Boston university law school after Harvard or doesn’t make partner at big law after 8 years.

On the other hand, I always think someone who went to a state school and then a top grad school or rose high in their profession is incredible.

Echoing the “trajectory” concept mentioned above, I was an undergrad at Boston College when John Kerry was attending BC Law. I had no clue he had attended anywhere other than Yale until fairly recently, AFTER he ran for president. He seemed to have downplayed his BC connection, perhaps because the Yale—>BC trajectory didn’t fit the image he was trying to project.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Researching schools with my kid, and I found this thread insightful. I never thought of the baggage that comes with attending an elite school, people always talk about the benefits.

Oh, ouch, think of the baggage these elite school alums have to carry with them their whole life!

Can’t think of a greater burden in life than having to tell people I went to school in Boston or New Haven. That’s real struggle right there!

And then these guys wonder why there is an anti-elite school backlash going on?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you’re a URM it’s a downside because people assume you didn’t get in on your own merits.

And that assumption is very valid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If asked - say where you went to school.

I do. But honestly it's often a d*mned if you do or don't scenario. While I never bring it up (Harvard grad), if asked, I'm honest. Last week the response was a (cue sarcastic voice...)"oooooh, SMARTY PANTS, aren't you? Whoooooaaaaa. You don't act like you went to Harvard." blah blah blah for a full two minutes. Cringeworthy, super uncomfortable.

This happens more often than you might expect. Which is why it's tempting to say I "went to school in Boston."

That’s the glory of Stanford. I just say I “went to school on the West Coast.” No one ever asks where.

I get the same reaction when I’m at a dinner party in the Hamptons & mention I went to school in Mississippi. That’s the glory of Mississippi State.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Researching schools with my kid, and I found this thread insightful. I never thought of the baggage that comes with attending an elite school, people always talk about the benefits.

Oh, ouch, think of the baggage these elite school alums have to carry with them their whole life!

Can’t think of a greater burden in life than having to tell people I went to school in Boston or New Haven. That’s real struggle right there!

Exactly. The burdens are always underestimated. People always complain about how Mr. Howell never had to go gather bananas or coconuts. But they never mention that he had to stay on the island just as long as Gilligan & the Skipper did.

[Anonymous]

I used to recruit undergrads for a Fortune 500 company. We usually assumed we could not afford an analyst from HYPSM and for the instances that we did hire them, they left after a year of top range pay. Got a lot of " I TOLD YOU SOs". We were accused of "overhiring".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If asked - say where you went to school.

I do. But honestly it's often a d*mned if you do or don't scenario. While I never bring it up (Harvard grad), if asked, I'm honest. Last week the response was a (cue sarcastic voice...)"oooooh, SMARTY PANTS, aren't you? Whoooooaaaaa. You don't act like you went to Harvard." blah blah blah for a full two minutes. Cringeworthy, super uncomfortable.

This happens more often than you might expect. Which is why it's tempting to say I "went to school in Boston."

That’s the glory of Stanford. I just say I “went to school on the West Coast.” No one ever asks where.

False. They all ask. It's called polite conversation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you went to an ivy, people assume you must be smarter than others. If you don't perform as expected, that's another pressure. It's pressure all around.

Obama said, an upside to going to an ivy is knowing you never have to be impressed by other ivy grads. Ivies aren't all that.

Well there are a lot of upsides, including that you are never intimidated by anyone else's pedigree. Impressed yes, but not intimidated. I have confidence that I can hold my own.

Downsides? Really very few. I guess others' perception. This hasn't happened in a long time. It was when I was a student and my hometown didn't send many kids to elite schools. So dealing with people's reactions was a thing. Once I left and went to major cites, that went away.

As for the fact that the elite schools are not really local, well that is true, since people do go all over and I guess that could be an upside and a downside, depending on your perspective. I personally haven't really used any connections from my undergrad Ivy. I went to a highly ranked state law school and stayed in state afterwards. Those connections have been more useful to me. So I guess I have the best of both worlds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Researching schools with my kid, and I found this thread insightful. I never thought of the baggage that comes with attending an elite school, people always talk about the benefits.

Oh, ouch, think of the baggage these elite school alums have to carry with them their whole life!

Can’t think of a greater burden in life than having to tell people I went to school in Boston or New Haven. That’s real struggle right there!

And then these guys wonder why there is an anti-elite school backlash going on?!?

What is wrong with you? Someone started a threat asking what the downside is and you are making fun of those who answered truthfully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Researching schools with my kid, and I found this thread insightful. I never thought of the baggage that comes with attending an elite school, people always talk about the benefits.

Oh, ouch, think of the baggage these elite school alums have to carry with them their whole life!

Can’t think of a greater burden in life than having to tell people I went to school in Boston or New Haven. That’s real struggle right there!

And then these guys wonder why there is an anti-elite school backlash going on?!?

This person's snide reactions right here is a perfect illustration of what HYPSM grads have to put up with. Thank you for putting out there such a perfect example!

[Anonymous]

Have you seen the vitriol on this board? Specifically with MIT people on here have said I didn't deserve to go there, wouldn't get in today, etc. That hate and jealously I experienced in real life as well. From people decades ahead of me in their careers that had nothing to feel insecure about. I learned early on to find supporters and stay far away from the people that wished me harm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I didn’t go to an hypms but one potential downside is you are expected to continue that trajectory or people will wonder if your undergrad admission was a fluke or there is something wrong with you or that you didn’t live up to your potential. It’s a lot of pressure.

I think ppl do wonder if someone for example goes to Boston university law school after Harvard or doesn’t make partner at big law after 8 years.

On the other hand, I always think someone who went to a state school and then a top grad school or rose high in their profession is incredible.

Echoing the “trajectory” concept mentioned above, I was an undergrad at Boston College when John Kerry was attending BC Law. I had no clue he had attended anywhere other than Yale until fairly recently, AFTER he ran for president. He seemed to have downplayed his BC connection, perhaps because the Yale—>BC trajectory didn’t fit the image he was trying to project.

I think this is a thing. You read about all the amazing things your classmates are doing and you know how fortunate you were to get this education. You definitely feel pressure to contribute to society in some very meaningful way and accomplish great things.

[Anonymous]

I have found that my fellow elite grad “friends” are opportunity hoarders and won’t help you professionally unless they’ve made it to the top and aren’t threatened by the possibility of you leapfrogging over them. This wasn’t the case with my sisters who attended Catholic colleges. Their counterparts were much more generous and communally-oriented.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If asked - say where you went to school.

I do. But honestly it's often a d*mned if you do or don't scenario. While I never bring it up (Harvard grad), if asked, I'm honest. Last week the response was a (cue sarcastic voice...)"oooooh, SMARTY PANTS, aren't you? Whoooooaaaaa. You don't act like you went to Harvard." blah blah blah for a full two minutes. Cringeworthy, super uncomfortable.

This happens more often than you might expect. Which is why it's tempting to say I "went to school in Boston."

That’s the glory of Stanford. I just say I “went to school on the West Coast.” No one ever asks where.

False. They all ask. It's called polite conversation.

No, they don't. I went there . No one says "west coast". no one. that's just stupid. It's a myth that harvard people say "a small college in cambridge" but that's also false and you just copied that. No one who goes to stanford says that. you're just trying to copy the harvard line

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If asked - say where you went to school.

I do. But honestly it's often a d*mned if you do or don't scenario. While I never bring it up (Harvard grad), if asked, I'm honest. Last week the response was a (cue sarcastic voice...)"oooooh, SMARTY PANTS, aren't you? Whoooooaaaaa. You don't act like you went to Harvard." blah blah blah for a full two minutes. Cringeworthy, super uncomfortable.

This happens more often than you might expect. Which is why it's tempting to say I "went to school in Boston."

That’s the glory of Stanford. I just say I “went to school on the West Coast.” No one ever asks where.

False. They all ask. It's called polite conversation.

False. No one has ever said to me they "went to school on the west coast" because I did. You say you went to Stanford. I say I went to UCLA. No one is that stupidly coy about Stanford