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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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