Reply to NYT: "Peak College Admissions Insanity"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The elite schools are basically a harry potter sorting hat for IB, Big Law etc.. and what they really are doing is creating a net work among the already rich/elite kids.  Middle class smart kids may get in but very few have the contacts and skills to net work themselves up that high.  The richer you are the less relevant your major needs to be[/quote]

I don’t agree with this. As a low income student, etc. who went to one of these schools, there have not been any barriers as far as ascending, etc. Frankly, once you’re in a company—and I’m talking about companies with established governing structures like public companies, companies that are close to IPOing, long-standing private companies, etc. your school/prior contacts are not going to tip the needle on mobility. It’s about showing impact, thinking outside of the box, being well-liked among your peers/leadership, and being able to make the case that you’re ready for the next job level.

No company is 100% a meritocracy, but a lot of companies try to get as close to this as possible. Also, in the hiring processes, especially for standard/non-exec employees (really anything below VPs) there are controls in place to stem nepotism. For example,  hiring processes with an emphasis on performance rather than who you know. A VP can refer someone for a role but if the hiring manager does not think they are a fit/they don’t perform well in the interview (s), or there just happens to be a better candidate, even if by a millimeter, they’re not getting hired. Also, I generally don’t observe VPs recommending candidates, especially at lower levels (i.e., roles/levels that do not report to VPs). They may recommend a peer, another potential VP, or someone within C-Suite. The pool for this levels of jobs (i.e., executive leadership) is quite low. Most people will never make it to this level irrespective of school, wealth, etc. [/quote]

+1 as a middle class kid who went to a top Ivy for undergrad then a top law school. I do agree that the rich elite kids did tend to stick together during college, and I was not and will never be part of whatever network they have. But I had no trouble breaking into Biglaw, which from my observation is based on merit - interviews, grades to get an offer. And quality of work to stay employed.

[/quote]

+2. At the end of the day, no one wants to hire someone that is going to not be able to do the work. [/quote]

I’m a biglaw partner at a famous top 3 law firm. My parents were immigrants; I’m first generation American. Most of the other partners are scrappy and trying to make as much money as possible.

The generational wealth and they really clued in UC networked lawyers, they left after putting a year or two into being a lawyer at a big white shoe law firm, and then started their own hedge fund or private equity firm with family/inherited $$. They are now our clients. But for one minute, none of us think we are one of them.

Most of the scrappy partners do extremely well ($5mm/yr), and some make nearly $10 million a year, but, no that we are not part of that old-school moneyed circle. But we’re trying to get there.

It’s all a giant social hierarchy.

The lawyers are the ones who are not born into money.

If you were born into family money, you never become a worker scribe at a white shoe law firm.

No, you are always the client.[/quote]

And no, I don’t want any of my kids to be a partner at a big law firm. I want them to do better. And not be stuck at the bottom of this totem pole.[/quote]

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