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

[Anonymous]

I loved my Ivy league school and don't see any downsides. I have friends from there but not a professional network. I don't see any downsides to going though

[Anonymous]

no downside OP has to be envious and mean

[Anonymous]

none Harvard grad here. sorry OP has to air greivances

[Anonymous]

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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

I can't speak for Stanford or Harvard but as someone who "went to college in Connecticut," I don't think this is a myth at all.

[Anonymous]

Princeton grad. No downside, other than that my kids say I peaked in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

HYP grad, I could have written the above because I have experienced the same. The hate and jealousy your school provokes in other people and the things they say and/or how they act because of it is the biggest downside to me. People gloat when you make a mistake or experience failure which happens to everyone.

That’s why it makes perfect sense to me why people say they go to school in Boston, CT, NJ rather than saying HYP. People think it’s because of false humility but, actually, it’s because no one wants to deal with people’s toxic feelings and biases.

[Anonymous]

I am not an elite school alum but I’ve been part of hiring committees at companies where these kids apply for jobs alongside kids from other schools.

The biggest downside I’ve witnessed is people making certain assumptions about the kid because of the school. Lets be honest, when someone comes from Princeton, people think, yes, he must be smart but also that he is likely an entitled and spoiled little brat. Nobody hears Princeton and thinks smart, hard working LMC kid.

State and lower ranked school grads don’t have to overcome that bias. People tend to assume that they will be more humble and willing to do the grunt work. People make these assumptions purely based on the school name without knowing anything about the kid. The reality could very well be that the kid from Princeton is LMC and humble and the state school kid is a brat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not an elite school alum but I’ve been part of hiring committees at companies where these kids apply for jobs alongside kids from other schools.

The biggest downside I’ve witnessed is people making certain assumptions about the kid because of the school. Lets be honest, when someone comes from Princeton, people think, yes, he must be smart but also that he is likely an entitled and spoiled little brat. Nobody hears Princeton and thinks smart, hard working LMC kid.

State and lower ranked school grads don’t have to overcome that bias. People tend to assume that they will be more humble and willing to do the grunt work. People make these assumptions purely based on the school name without knowing anything about the kid. The reality could very well be that the kid from Princeton is LMC and humble and the state school kid is a brat.

You need to get acquainted with the real world.

Everyone I know thinks Princeton students & graduates are smart, hardworking, and from various economic backgrounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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".

People are only as loyal as their options, and HYPSM grads have no shortage of options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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".

People are only as loyal as their options, and HYPSM grads have no shortage of options.

A Fortune 500 company could have afforded to pay more to keep them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

I don’t assume this.

The people who make that assumption will assume that you’re under qualified no matter where you went to school, so you may as well have the HYPSM credential and pedigree to help offset it. (URM female Yale Law grad)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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".

People are only as loyal as their options, and HYPSM grads have no shortage of options.

A Fortune 500 company could have afforded to pay more to keep them.

What’s your point, PP?

[Anonymous]

No downside. It’s been a boon socially and put me at the top of the pile for competitive jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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".

People are only as loyal as their options, and HYPSM grads have no shortage of options.

But also if you have massive educational loans (I did) then I'm motivated by choices that get me closer to paying off those bills. I left one of my favorite managers because the new European leadership felt they paid salespeople too much. To the point where they wanted to keep us below market value.

[Anonymous]

yawn. Can you also link a story about the challenges of being too beautiful, or too rich? Yes, colleagues of mine from those days chat of both. There are real downsides to those things, but they do not complete with the other challenges out there, of people with family members dying early from cancer, or dementia, or who died in their teens from opioid overdoses. Sorry I can't offer more, and best of luck to you.