So is it private school or wealthy families?

[Anonymous]

The je ne sais quoi is social capital, and that’s gained through wealth, connections, experiences, etc.

I'm a PhD from a veeeeeerrrrrrry working class background. Public school for 1st-12th, did well, graduated top of class.

But I couldn’t do internships while I was at my affordable state college. Like another poster, I was working in the dining hall in college. I started working the day I was legally able to in high school. I’m 45 now and have worked for 30 years straight.

My degrees took me 16+ years because I had to work full-time after freshman year of college. I’ve managed to do well in my career, but it has taken a long time and a lot of strategy and luck. I really lucked out with a couple of well-connected supervisors who helped open some doors, and have developed a good network over time.

Even though I feel largely satisfied, I can’t help occasionally envy the 25–year-olds with a couple of 6-month internships and a fresh MA from Harvard who are able to leapfrog over me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are some exceptions though. If you go to a “decent” university in a true hotbed for these high-paying professions you may be able to make it into them. Examples are SJSU, Cal Poly, CUNY schools, Santa Clara and Fordham.

For tech, right? Won’t work in banking.

For both. But CUNY always have been an engine of economic mobility.

Maybe in the 1950 and 60ties. Harvard doesn’t charge tuition, room, board if family income is under 150k. Could be higher now.

[Anonymous]

I remember the career counseling departments at Harvard undergrad, business school, and Kennedy school. They were so varied in quality. Getting into Harvard Undergrad, taking whatever classes you wanted and generally relying on the career services department to help you build your career probably would not have led to any kind of best-in-class result back in the day. (Maybe that’s changed?) There were ways to figure that out everywhere and most students did. Still, some didn’t.

Speaking of best-in-class, what is it that creates the right Olympic gold medalist? Wealth or the right coach?

What is it that created the world’s wealthiest 100 people? Is it about being from the right country?

The path to these places are long and complicated. Distilling it to a handful of buckets is overly simplistic. Being in venture requires being tremendously social or at least somehow talking to enough people to source and get into good deals. Being in litigation is entirely different.

These are lofty goals. People destroy their lives reaching for them. Good luck