Are you ever secretly jealous of people with degrees from elite private schools?

[Anonymous]

People hate to admit it. But I’m also sometimes jealous. Not often, but I do often think it would be nice to have a “brand name” degree. It’s the kind of thing that stays with you for life in the same way that other “brand” items like a luxury handbag or car doesn’t.

[Anonymous]

No, it’s a stupid thing to be envious about.

[Anonymous]

No. I’m grateful that I was smart enough to get into a good state college, and get a decent job.

[Anonymous]

Elite grad here, trust me I would have been happier going to a state school on so many levels.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I get it. Went to a small, unranked lac and got a taste of an elite school during a study abroad. It was a combo of student body, opportunities and prestige that I liked. Then got a grad degree from a middling state school. My education was fine, and I found wonderful people at all the institutions at which I studied, but neither non elite school helped me with career networking at all. I am super excited for my kid who got into 3 top schools and is going to an Ivy. And, before anyone disses me for the cost, they offered her terrific FA -- total cost is about the same as state flagship.

[Anonymous]

Guys, come on, this is fake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm moderately successful, I would like to think. I'm by and large happy and stable. I have a degree from a public school that, for the most part, hasn't been a disservice to my career. My college experience, many years ago at this point, was fine (no highs or lows). I feel like I came into my own after college, where I was fortunate to fall in with a circle of brilliant friends and acquaintances. Here's the thing. They all have degrees from from Yale, Stanford, Cornell, Brown, Northwestern, Columbia, UChicago, etc. ... and I am literally the only one who graduated from your average run-of-the-mill school. Although they never make it a point to alienate me, I do definitely feel like the odd duckling out at times, and can't help but feel a little bit jealous at points.

Anyone have this experience, too, or am I crazy?

No, I have never experienced this. I think you are insecure. Not sure about crazy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, my spouse went to no name schools and makes more than my sibling doctor who went to ivys.

I guess for me, it's not really about the money. It's about all the vague, ambiguous things, like class and pedigree. I don't necessarily like that I think this way, but I do. You can fake a lot of things in life, like the ability to buy luxury brands or nice clothing or an expensive watch, or certain affectations. But education? You can't fake that.

Columbia was literally caught faking rankings, and 1/3rd of their students come in through the General Studies backdoor. Definitely fakeable.

Sure... but a Columbia College (or a degree from one of Columbia's actual grad/professional schools) is still highly covetable.

Nope. Columbia has the lowest median income 10 years out from graduation compared to all the Ivies:

https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-Salaries_for_Colleges_by_Type-sort.html

A degree can be highly covetable even if students aren’t the highest earners. A lot of these students will take prestigious but not highly compensated jobs in the arts, journalism, academia etc. The schools with the highest starting salaries are CalTech and MIT. So go there and not an Ivy if you’re most interested in salaries.

[Anonymous]

Not at all. School is just one of the steps.
What you are doing is what matters the most.

If you are really successful, then school becomes sort of an accessories.
Say if someone is a CEO of a good venture company, by the way he went to MIT, then that's a nice bonus and accessory.
I could be jealous.

If someone went to MIT but working the same type of work and pay, then I would be like yea so much for MIT.
It's actually negative impression and opposite of jealous.

If you someone went to some prestigious school, now making $70K at age 40, I would be like LOL

[Anonymous]

My spouse is an Ivy grad. By 35, it all
Comes out in the wash (success wise)
What I'm jealous of are those who went to big state flagships, pledged their mom's sorority and have a big extended friend group that vacation together at the lake each summer. I want to take my kids to the big game each fall and Tailgate with my college friends

Ivy just means you are good at school, not life.

[Anonymous]

I've never felt jealous. I have felt awkward, but I feel like you're doing everybody a disservice if you feel awkward about your background. Awkwardness breeds awkwardness so I just adjust my thinking to avoid it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, my spouse went to no name schools and makes more than my sibling doctor who went to ivys.

I guess for me, it's not really about the money. It's about all the vague, ambiguous things, like class and pedigree. I don't necessarily like that I think this way, but I do. You can fake a lot of things in life, like the ability to buy luxury brands or nice clothing or an expensive watch, or certain affectations. But education? You can't fake that.

Are you trying to fake me? You don't really believe that do you? Do you??

[Anonymous]

No. I know brilliant people from those schools, but also some real duds. (As is the case for any way you categorize people.) Also, I know brilliant people who went to much-mocked schools for financial or geographic reasons.

If you want, I guess you think of yourself as having the educational equivalent of buying the cheapest house in a good neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Nope, I couldn’t care less. I’ve never been impressed by brand names.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, my spouse went to no name schools and makes more than my sibling doctor who went to ivys.

I guess for me, it's not really about the money. It's about all the vague, ambiguous things, like class and pedigree. I don't necessarily like that I think this way, but I do. You can fake a lot of things in life, like the ability to buy luxury brands or nice clothing or an expensive watch, or certain affectations. But education? You can't fake that.

Columbia was literally caught faking rankings, and 1/3rd of their students come in through the General Studies backdoor. Definitely fakeable.

Columbia’s General Studies “backdoor” in no way diminishes the quality of education at Columbia. Columbia was caught, but all the top schools have games the system for 30 years or more, almost all by doing things that don’t actually affect the education or outcome. That’s why USNWR will be 0 factor for us.