<p>It is possible that your parents just want you to aim high. I have seen that as a tactic parents employ for “not as motivated” kids. I have seen plenty of ivy graduates end up being professors and tend to do research. Again nothing wrong with that, it is just what they like, their love of discovery. On the other hand, a lot of the state flagship kids have gone on to become CEOs or Directors,yes, making high 6 figure salaries. It is what you take from your school. Someone in another thread was just mentioning how the city government (in CA) is full of people earning big salaries and yes, they graduated from SDSU, Cal state, etc…etc. So it is not where you go, but what you do and how you do. Life after college is a different ball game. College will just take you to the door, it is what you do beyond it that counts.</p>