"It may not matter all that much where you go to college." (Paul Graham)

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It has at least created a rebuttable presumption that I am capable and smart–quite helpful in the ongoing personal sales of life. … I would have not wished to have to reprove myself at every step because I had gone to my state u or a middling lac that no one outside of its immediate region knew. The contacts and friends one makes at an Ivy are also more helpful than most would care to admit,

I think Redcrimblue makes a point which is the same as Graham’s - A degree from a “prestigious” University is like “IBM” on the product - a recognized predictor of adequate quality; a safe bet as a service provider or employee. A student will get that imprematur with an Ivy League degree, and that’s worth something to the student. It will give that student a leg up on initial job opportunities; down the road it may have added value as a source of referrals - although in some areas and some industries, good ol’ State U may actually be better for that. But does that negate Graham’s premise that the graduates of prestigious schools aren’t necessarily any more talented or qualified to excel than the graduates of State U?</p>

<p>As Graham observes, “The other students are the biggest advantage of going to an elite college; you learn more from them than the professors.” “Prestigious” schools attract bright students, therefore making those schools better - Ourabouros! But with increased student populations (and no increase in “top” schools) a 30th rank school may well have a more intellectually accomplished entering class this year than Harvard did 20 years ago. Won’t those students have just as enriching an educational experience as today’s 40-something Crimson captains of industry and professional leaders? And is Graham right in suggesting that bright students can find each other in the sea of mediocrity huge state colleges are assumed to be, and achieve that mutual self-education the same as they would at a smaller, more selective school? </p>

<p>My personal feeling is that different schools are better for different students. Some kids will thrive only in a LAC-type environment, others feed off the energy and chaos of a huge multiversity brimming with distractions and tangents to follow. It probably is easier to excel in a college where the average student is about the same intellectual level as you; too high and you’re lost, too low and you sink to the level around you. But after graduation day, does it really all matter all that much?</p>