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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HYP grad here. I almost always reject HYP grads when they apply to my company - we tend to hire 1-3 years out of undergrad and that cadre from HYP tend to expect much higher comp and more comp increases along the way. In short, they are more of an HR pain in the arse.

Our best hires always are the striving kids, top 10-20% of their classes from T60-T300 schools.

Yes I realize the irony of this....entirely

So you discriminate. Nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HYP grad here. I almost always reject HYP grads when they apply to my company - we tend to hire 1-3 years out of undergrad and that cadre from HYP tend to expect much higher comp and more comp increases along the way. In short, they are more of an HR pain in the arse.

Our best hires always are the striving kids, top 10-20% of their classes from T60-T300 schools.

Yes I realize the irony of this....entirely

So you discriminate. Nice.

College name is not a protected class.

[Anonymous]

I attended in the early 2000s before the financial aid initiatives that you see today existed. I incurred significant SL debt that makes me think I should’ve gone elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Not much downside, although people more impressed with Stuy than HYP. Where I went to college comes up maybe 2x a year, if that.

My firm loves Indiana/Illinois/MN grads now. I find people struggling with millennials (outside tech jobs) and, for the last 5+ years, millennials + fancy private education at any level has not been a great fit. They stopped on-campus recruiting events way before covid. We had only been going to top schools and our priorities shifted. I'm not in HR so don't know full details.

[Anonymous]

The downsides: (1) It is difficult to buck the trend of going into law, consulting, etc. I went to law school after graduating from an HYP and absolutely hated it. I wish I'd been more open to other career paths -- teaching high school, pursuing graphic arts, starting my own business, becoming a physician assistant -- but almost NO ONE does that from HYP (at least they didn't when I was there). You have to be brave to be yourself. I'd imagine you'd find a more diverse group of friends and more career pathways at a different kind of university. (2) I'd like to think that college is an opportunity to try some new things and learn some new skills. You want to be on the school newspaper? Well, everyone on the newspaper at Yale was the editor-in-chief of their high school newspaper and probably won national awards. Want to try theater? You'll be up against kids who already have their Actors Equity cards. My DD went to HYP (not the one I went to) and loved it, but she has more self-confidence in her little finger than I do in my entire body. So if you are supremely self-confident and self-assured, HYP might be for you. If not, you might have a better time being a bigger fish in a smaller pond. In retrospect, I think I would have enjoyed a more supportive environment much, much more, and I might have gotten further in my career as well, because I wouldn't have wasted a decade of my life in law school and practicing law.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The downsides: (1) It is difficult to buck the trend of going into law, consulting, etc. I went to law school after graduating from an HYP and absolutely hated it. I wish I'd been more open to other career paths -- teaching high school, pursuing graphic arts, starting my own business, becoming a physician assistant -- but almost NO ONE does that from HYP (at least they didn't when I was there). You have to be brave to be yourself. I'd imagine you'd find a more diverse group of friends and more career pathways at a different kind of university. (2) I'd like to think that college is an opportunity to try some new things and learn some new skills. You want to be on the school newspaper? Well, everyone on the newspaper at Yale was the editor-in-chief of their high school newspaper and probably won national awards. Want to try theater? You'll be up against kids who already have their Actors Equity cards. My DD went to HYP (not the one I went to) and loved it, but she has more self-confidence in her little finger than I do in my entire body. So if you are supremely self-confident and self-assured, HYP might be for you. If not, you might have a better time being a bigger fish in a smaller pond. In retrospect, I think I would have enjoyed a more supportive environment much, much more, and I might have gotten further in my career as well, because I wouldn't have wasted a decade of my life in law school and practicing law.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There’s no downside if you work at a place where having an elite school degree is the norm. The downside comes when elite school degrees are rare, and you are “the other” and resented.

+1

It was a bit of a social liability when I was just admitted and still in HS, and during college while home on breaks because people in my hometown were all weirded out by someone who went to HYP. This is why people say "I go to school in Boston" to avoid that social awkwardness. I have done that too.

No downside at all after college when I have been in grad school or lived in major East Coast cities. HYP is only seen as a plus in my field.

I didn't love every minute of my actual experience at HYP but overall I would not trade it for the world. It was truly mind expanding to be around so many brilliant people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s no downside if you work at a place where having an elite school degree is the norm. The downside comes when elite school degrees are rare, and you are “the other” and resented.

+1

It was a bit of a social liability when I was just admitted and still in HS, and during college while home on breaks because people in my hometown were all weirded out by someone who went to HYP. This is why people say "I go to school in Boston" to avoid that social awkwardness. I have done that too.

No downside at all after college when I have been in grad school or lived in major East Coast cities. HYP is only seen as a plus in my field.

I didn't love every minute of my actual experience at HYP but overall I would not trade it for the world. It was truly mind expanding to be around so many brilliant people.

The problem with the "I went to school in Boston" is that it is Harvard...so you sound like a douche. Someone from MIT says I went to MIT...they don't say I went to school in Boston...because they wouldn't want someone to think it is Harvard.

Just own it!

[Anonymous]

My boss called me an elitist once. That was really weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HYP grad here. I almost always reject HYP grads when they apply to my company - we tend to hire 1-3 years out of undergrad and that cadre from HYP tend to expect much higher comp and more comp increases along the way. In short, they are more of an HR pain in the arse.

Our best hires always are the striving kids, top 10-20% of their classes from T60-T300 schools.

Yes I realize the irony of this....entirely

So you discriminate. Nice.

College name is not a protected class.

Sure, I'm not talking legally--more on an ethical basis. You've got a lot of biases in my opinion--I think it's better to treat people as individuals and judge them on their own merits not my own personal biased history.

[Anonymous]

If you don't turn out nicely to an expectation, job, career, income wise
You'll be ridiculed and made fun of.

[Anonymous]

Spouse and I have 5 Ivy degrees between us. No downsides. It's been great. Unlikely our kids will get in, but oh well!

[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.

Some people will assume such regardless of school.

That's just racial bias.

Let the haters hate.

but it's a fact that they get in with lower standard

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spouse and I have 5 Ivy degrees between us. No downsides. It's been great. Unlikely our kids will get in, but oh well!

From an ivy, a grad school is almost guaranteed. Upper level undergrad courses are lower level grad courses. A double ivy degree isn't all that unusual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The downsides: (1) It is difficult to buck the trend of going into law, consulting, etc. I went to law school after graduating from an HYP and absolutely hated it. I wish I'd been more open to other career paths -- teaching high school, pursuing graphic arts, starting my own business, becoming a physician assistant -- but almost NO ONE does that from HYP (at least they didn't when I was there). You have to be brave to be yourself. I'd imagine you'd find a more diverse group of friends and more career pathways at a different kind of university. (2) I'd like to think that college is an opportunity to try some new things and learn some new skills. You want to be on the school newspaper? Well, everyone on the newspaper at Yale was the editor-in-chief of their high school newspaper and probably won national awards. Want to try theater? You'll be up against kids who already have their Actors Equity cards. My DD went to HYP (not the one I went to) and loved it, but she has more self-confidence in her little finger than I do in my entire body. So if you are supremely self-confident and self-assured, HYP might be for you. If not, you might have a better time being a bigger fish in a smaller pond. In retrospect, I think I would have enjoyed a more supportive environment much, much more, and I might have gotten further in my career as well, because I wouldn't have wasted a decade of my life in law school and practicing law.

These are some great points...regarding (1) working at tech/start-ups is now a huge draw likely compared to when you attended college, as well as starting your own company which is kind of the holy grail...though there is still the pull of banking/consulting/private equity, etc., and (2) you hit the nail on the head...the network you can develop at these schools can be incredible, but you need the confidence to attack it. Sure, some of the super-rich kids can be jerks, but many are not. You just need to believe that you earned your seat at the table and you are going for it.