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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It's easy to agree with this in the abstract, but the fact is that it's easier to have a good life if you have enough money, and it's easier to make money if you go to a prestigious school. The employers and industries that pay the most and offer the most obvious path to prosperity hire disproportionately from these schools. That is also true for the jobs and fields that wield the most power in this country - when was the last time there was a supreme court justice, or even clerk, who didn't graduate from an Ivy/Stanford? You can get a great education many places, but the more "status" a university has, the more options it keeps open for the future. Obviously there are successful people who didn't take this route, but it's harder without that type of a well-worn path. How many of us are visionary entrepreneurs? I'm certainly not. Biglaw has been a good fit for me. [/quote]

Really? I disagree that going to a more prestigious school and a more lucrative profession such as Biglaw makes for a happier life. In Mr. Darcy’s time (from the article), the elite could be idle or pursue their little passion projects. Today the elite work the longest hours and are under the most stress.

Going to elite colleges are like a pie-eating contest where the award is more pie.[/quote]

It is the ultimate pie eating contest. :) But I love my job and career. I don't care if my kids pursue a similar path; of course, my hope is that they will find something they LOVE and which they can use to support themselves and have the life they want. Most people don't know what that is when they're 18. Going to a prestigious school maintains the maximum number of options. That is its value to me. I don't like the system as it currently exists and wish there wasn't such a wide discrepancy between the socioeconomic classes, because then people would feel freer to pursue different vocations, but I don't know how to change it.[/quote]

And btw my family growing up was truly middle class financially and my parents were hyper focused on balance. They were both in nurse/teacher/social worker type jobs and spent a ton of time with me and my sibling. And I decided at 10 that I wanted to be an investment banker and wound up in biglaw instead. There are people for whom these jobs are a good fit. Most of my colleagues thrive on what they do, even if the hours can be a grind.[/quote]

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