<p>Does an Ivy degree give you an upper hand for being hired or promotion, given that your abilities are the same? Is Ivy cost worth it for the connections you'll make and the networking opportunities you'll have with classmates and alumni to make inroads into career fields (Wall Street, Silicon Valley, Capitol Hill, etc.)?</p>
<p><a href="http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/neighbors/bradshaw/19835860-452/ivy-league-education-has-some-advantages.html">http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/neighbors/bradshaw/19835860-452/ivy-league-education-has-some-advantages.html</a>
"On the other hand it took me nearly a decade longer for me to gain a top management position than it did for a number of other colleagues who attended Ivy League schools.</p>
<p>It is never lost on me that I am the only public college graduate among my associates. Is this something that students should take into consideration as they decide between the Ivy League or a top state school?"</p>
<p>"It is unfortunate that intimate friendships do not always form easily across socioeconomic lines. There are complex social dynamics taking place that rarely get talked about in public high schools or state college brochures.</p>
<p>As you pointed out these dynamics are played out over several years after graduation. Many jobs and careers are directly linked to understanding these relationships.</p>
<p>Students must decide if the advantage that the Ivies give graduates is worth the cost. Where careers are concerned there is a good deal of evidence that the diploma and social connections that come from an Ivy League education are worth it in both the short and long term."</p>
<p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/bluecarreon/2012/06/01/do-ivy-league-schools-still-matter/">http://www.forbes.com/sites/bluecarreon/2012/06/01/do-ivy-league-schools-still-matter/</a>
"That being said, it is true that many top financial and consulting firms still tend to recruit heavily on Ivy League campuses, which does give the students there a bit of an advantage, especially in getting their foot in the door at the start. Recruiters do tend to rely on the solid reputation of Ivy League schools, and look at a degree from, say, the University of Pennsylvania as a guarantee of a certain kind of student who is smart, ambitious, and able to perform. Ivy League schools continue to sustain an elusive prestige factor and clout—not to mention access to high-powered contacts and networks—that go a long way in forging entrées into certain fields and making favorable first impressions."</p>
<p><a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/perfi/college/2011-03-05-cnbc-ivy-league_N.htm">http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/perfi/college/2011-03-05-cnbc-ivy-league_N.htm</a>
"Christopher Stanley is a 21 year-old senior at Yale and has already secured an investment banking job on Wall Street after graduation. By picking an Ivy League college, the native of Los Angeles, Calif., admits to taking the fast track he saw others get on.</p>
<p>As he sums up the last four years, Stanley concedes the opportunities that lay ahead may be worth more than the education he got.</p>
<p>"Is my degree worth it? Maybe not," Stanley explains. "Are the connections worth it? Definitely."</p>