Resident scholars, weigh in.

This question at the end of the post gets to the heart of the matter.

Quote:

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Is an Ivy League education essential for success?

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No, obviously, and I think our two resident Harvard alums and various other Ivy grads will agree. Of course an Ivy degree with your name on it doesn't hurt, but it certainly doesn't guarantee success.

It throws up a pretty big billboard on the resume, at the least, to get you paid more and sooner. From that point on to the actual quality of the education, who cares?

my grandfather went to harvard law, my father went to berkeley, i will take losing my virginity in 9th grade to a girl who went to harvard.

edit she was in 9th grade with me at boarding school

Was Dartmouth essential for me? No.

Do I still consider it an advantage? Yes. I think it's an advantage that I went to a school of legitimate repute (as opposed to those idiots at Bennington), and it doesn't hurt to remind people that the CEO of General Electric is also an alum.

You go wherever inspires you, where you think you will fit in. If you're tending towards exploring counterculture, you choose Berkeley over Princeton. If you're a genius and you live in Minneapolis, you might choose Carelton over Brown. I knew I would never fit in at Harvard and never bothered inquiring. I wonder how my life would have turned out differently had I chosen Pomona, Occidental, Duke or Arizona (my choices). Then I just put my feet up on my desk and have a Fresca.

As I am getting ready to roll out the door of my earthy-crunchy domicile here in Mendocino, wheel drunkenly down the 101 fwy (well not really, but I will be imbibing in my rented shuttle handivan/limo complete with minibar, xbox and Porn channels, to the Bay area where I will crash at the Mandarin Oriental for a night then fly home tomorrow to Hartford Connecticut where I will be spending a large chunk of my summer, I....fuck what was the question??

Harvard...well I have two things to say (maybe more...):

1) To quote a girl named Sally from Fall River who I met the second week of my freshman year in the "Brighams" restaurant/ice cream parlor that used to be in Harvard Square: (exaggerated south bay accent) "You go to Hahhvahd? You must be Wicked Smahht!!!" 2 hours later I splooged in between her ample boobs in the freshman dorm Canaday Hall I resided in, and THAT one didnt cost me anything except a couple of Hot fudge Sundaes and some breath mints.

2) If I could do it all over again, I would have gone to Stanford, only because, and James will back me up on this, the Cambridge City Department often plows the streets when it snows while under the influence of cheap Irish Whiskey. I had a difficult time at Harvard, not because of the academics, but issues with accesibility. Would I be as well off today if I had gone to Stanford instead?? Actually, I think I'd be BETTER off because the path my life/career took would have been accelerated and streamlined by being so close to the Bay Area and Silicon Valley, and I am almost positive I would have made many of the same post graduation choices no matter which school I would have attended.

But Harvard is simply the most recognized and widespread "BRAND" in the college pantheon and that kinda carries a added dimension of quality and advantage. But it is not as big or decisive as some tend to think...when I got into the real world business environment, and later on when it was MY OWN Money I was playing with...I tended to want down to earth, savvy "poor smart and hungry" guys working for me or on my behalf than your average newly minted Harvard MBA type....but that is because I was a greedy fuck for a short but intense period of my life, and I had lots of hookers to pay for... Now I am trying to buy my way into heaven....


Bottom line, Study hard, train, say your prayers and take your vitamins...and no matter what school you go to, you'll be able to afford high class ass someday too. So Sayeth Da Burglar.



PS -- Hey James, I'll see you at commencement pretty soon! Look for the guy in the wheelchair with a '92 plastered on his back and driving all wobbly like looking for the nearest bathroom, or semi-secluded bush, to piss ....

Speaking from a profession dominated by credential whores I can tell you its pretty important. We do 50% of our hiring from Ivies, 40% of our hiring from the Harvard's of the Midwest, West Coast and South (Michigan, Duke, VA, Berkeley, Stanford, NYU, et al). The final 10% comes from the remainder of the schools.

When it comes to top top jobs, i.e., Supreme Court Clerkship, if its not one the aforementioned schools, don't bother applying. I had the benefit of both worlds, Michigan undergrad, Columbia Law School. I wouldn't change either choice.