<p>I once had a boss who graduated from Harvard. It was the defining event of his life, and he never let anyone forget it. He was always introducing someone as an old Harvard buddy, but clearly he milked those connections primarily for business purposes. (He is an I-banker.) He had no real personal qualities to speak of, so I suspect Harvard truly was his ticket to success in the business world. Would he have gotten to where he was if he had gone to CUNY? Doubtful. But I think of him as an exception. Most of the most succesful Managing Directors at the firm went to “lesser” schools, but they managed to send their kids to elite private schools, live in the “best” neighborhoods and generally be viewed as respectable as anyone else - and most also had personal qualities my boss lacked.</p>