<p>In the first place, isn't the idea (for many people) that going to college will give you a leg-up when looking for a career?</p>
<p>So why not try to go to what is percieved as the best university in the world?</p>
<p>Not that I necessarily support choosing Harvard solely for that reason; but that really is the invididual's prerogative, no? No need to judge them for it.</p>
<p>Of course, some people who are accepted to multiple universities, even multiple Ivies, choose Harvard because of "the name."</p>
<p>. . . just as some design students choose Parsons for "the name," and some aspiring engineers choose MIT for "the name," and some aspiring film students choose USC for "the name," and some young cellists choose Juilliard for "the name."</p>
<p>Who's to say that people who want to study math or science don't choose UC Berkeley for "the name"? And why is that such a bad thing?</p>
<p>Really, this phenomena isn't endemic to Harvard University. The H-Bomb isn't the only name that causes damage; and many people--the people who matter--know that.</p>