<p>mathmom, that is interesting about your son. But again, for the benefit of others who are feeling pressure to attend “elite” colleges because of perceived advantages that may not actually exist, there are success stories everywhere. I know a young woman who studied Arabic at University of Kentucky and landed a job at the AP bureau in Beirut. UW-Madison and Indiana U are well-known for their foreign language programs, as are some smaller schools like Earlham, Wittenberg and Lawrence. I guess I’d just be careful to generalize from the experience of one student.</p>
<p>gman11: I am not sure what you are trying to say–that students at “elite” schools are more likely to rub elbows with, and benefit from the connection to, students from other, similar schools? Except for the rare field like investment banking, I don’t know anyone who lives in an Elite School Bubble that protects them from the common folk at state flagships and other “lesser” schools. My apologies if that is not what you were suggesting.</p>