Insecure about college prestige

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d be more concerned that you didn’t get a graduate degree.

Many graduate degrees are superfluous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A degree from an elite school is also important in the field of management consulting.

OP: What type of work do you do ? Or in which industry ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once you start working, nobody cares where you went to school.

This…sorta…

But I know some jerks at work who operate under the assumption that their prestigious degree makes them better than others.

I went to an average state school for undergrad and law school. In my mind, it was wise to keep costs low. I didn’t grow up rich like a select group of colleagues whose parents/grandparents financed their fancy educations.

Anyway, we all ended up at the same place…but I’m the boss. I made it further faster despite my state school degree.

How do I know it bothers some people? When recruiting, I’ve heard these people make comments about not bothering to consider certain applicants.

My experience has been that some of the least impressive and ill-equipped interns and summer associates have come from some of the “best”’schools.

Another observation: while I make a good living with my white collar job, some of my blue collar friends are doing far better. They’ve banked millions and own multiple vacation homes, boats, etc. None of them even bothered with college. One told me he used to feel insecure about not having a degree until he realized he was essentially winning the rat race by owning a business where his workers do the heavy lift while he has tons of flexibility and mountains of cash. Plus, he has a business to pass on to his kids.

[Anonymous]

Is is all vanity and ego. Leave them behind and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You are finding a reason to keep yourself “unworthy”. You are. Move on and conquer!

[Anonymous]

I know someone with an undergrad degree and PhD from the most prestigious ivy who bounced around a few forgettable jobs before returning to their alma mater in a very low-level job working with students (not teaching). Tremendous waste of money imho. It all comes down to personality and drive at the end of the day, and those skills simply can’t be taught.

PS - Some of the most broken people I know in terms of anxiety and depression requiring lots of therapy and meds went to the tippy top ivies. I think their parents wrecked them by applying far too much pressure when they were young children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A top school can open doors for you early on but at the end of the day it’s how you perform that counts. My first job was very MBA oriented with most from Harvard, Stanford etc. I was from a tier 2 MBA program. Many of them flamed out while I did very well.

No way can someone sit in a conference room and say, a ha, that must be the Harvard MBA because he's so smart and that other person must have gone to a lower school because they don't think as well. We all know people from top schools who never got anywhere close to reaching their career and personal goals.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think people generally care but if it bothers you that much go back to graduate school at a better college.

Kind of did the same. Dropped out of a great school because I did not have the social and emotional maturity to go away to college. Went to a local college to finish. Eventually earned a graduate degree at the great school. Felt like I took care of unfinished business.

[Anonymous]

The only person I know who has said they've experienced snobbery from others towards their degree is in academia in New York. It waa BA alma mater, not his grad degree. That said, he is doing fine with a tenure track job and lots of publications. Outside of academia, all that matters is work. I have a degree from the top school in my field but it really made no difference over the course of a career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The joke's on them: they ended up at the same place as you.

Exactly, this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The joke's on them: they ended up at the same place as you.

❤️❤️❤️

[Anonymous]

I went to a crappy school and graduated with a 2.6 GPA

Yet my coworker same level went Ivy League

I feel sorry for him

[Anonymous]

I am an immigrant, with a hard to pronounce name and degree from a school no one ever heard of. Rather than feeling inferior, I remind myself how far I've gotten. A piece of paper is not indicative of intelligence, character or grit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an immigrant, with a hard to pronounce name and degree from a school no one ever heard of. Rather than feeling inferior, I remind myself how far I've gotten. A piece of paper is not indicative of intelligence, character or grit.

Love this!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The joke's on them: they ended up at the same place as you.

Just to share the flip side: I’m a Harvard MBA, and I’m still shocked at how much of a chip people have in their shoulder about where I went to school. (I’m also black, and I think that plays a role too, but that’s a whole other thread.)

I don’t bring it up, and I am always sure to be really hard-working so people don’t assume that I’m the ivy league entitled person.

So OP, don’t feel insecure, but also don’t be a reverse snob. I’m sure you’re incredibly talented.

[Anonymous]

I mean you have the same jobs as the Ivy grades right? I’m not understanding.