<p>DMC, here's my issue with your argument. </p>
<p>Elite private universities are, on average, anywhere from a quarter to a half the size of elite state universities. As such, it is not suprising that the quality of the student bodies at elite private universities is indeed better than at elite private universities. That point was never a point of contention. I would say that at schools like Cal, Michigan, UVA etc...about 50% of the students are definite Ivy League/elite Private university material. That explains why, on average, students at elite private schools meet with better graduate school placement than students at elite state universities.</p>
<p>But why is that a problem? Do you honnestly think your personal chances would have been worse had you gone to Cal or Michigan instead of Duke? I am pretty sure they wouldn't have been. A student will accomplish the same success at any of the top 10-15 research universities. In other words, whereas at elite private universities, you would be competing with 100% of the students, at schools like Cal and Michigan, you would be competing with 50% of the students. And as far as ratios, roughly twice as many students from top private universities are admited into top graduate programs as students from top state universities. In other words, things cancel each other out. </p>
<p>I know the WSJ is hardly an accurate measure of graduate school placement as it unfairly favors the Ivies, but even then, roughly 5%-7% of students from top private schools end up going to top 5 Medical, Law and Business schools as opposed to 2.5%-3.5% of students from top state universities. Again, there's that ratio. But when you consider that only 50% of students at Cal and Michigan are really capable of competing for such schools compared to 100% at smaller private elites, things cancel each other out. </p>
<p>At that level of academic excellence, fit, rather than education, should be the determining factor. It is a fact that academe, adcoms of top graduate programs and corporare recruiters of global 500 companies respect Cal and Michigan as much as the top 15 private universities.</p>