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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Several Princeton alums I know were legacies and got in principally for that reason.  They would not have gotten in otherwise.  They graduated bottom third of the class in the humanities/social sciences.  The best part about Princeton for them was getting in.  Going to Princeton and graduating from Princeton was deflating.  All of them went on to mediocre careers and bounced around from job to job.  In hindsight, Princeton legacy was a millstone around their necks.  All three would have been better off charting their own paths.  I have seen this with Harvard legacies but know them less well.  I have come to the conclusion that bring legacies at these schools is a bit of a curse, with MIT being an exception because they don’t favor legacies in admission and MIT grads are the real deal.  The downside of these schools is the weight of expectation for future greatness and more than half of the graduating class will lead unextraordinary lives.  Frankly, many Princeton, Harvard, Yale grads are underwhelming and it must be painful to be on the receiving end of that.  This is the downside of these schools.  People broadly think the degree confers more talent, aptitude and drive than it actually does.[/quote]

We know a Princeton legacy admit currently on this path...I've always wondered how that kid feels. Sure, it's great to have that Princeton label, but they are not a high caliber student. Their parents are thrilled of course. My guess is they are connected enough that the kid will still get help getting some lucrative job. Maybe (like their parents), they just don't care about the stigma or lower performance (because, so far, they haven't ever had need to perform at a high level to achieve).

Our Princeton tour guide dropped many notches when they divulged being a double legacy at the chapel. I'm not sure why anyone with any real world grounding would wear this sort of privilege with such pride.[/quote]

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