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<p>GlobeTraveler</p>
<p>The idea behind going to one of the top Engineering schools like Stanford/MIT/Princeton is to get a taste of other areas to see if you like them so much that you actually ENJOY your work and don’t mind working the extra hours. The added bucks is just a benny to the equation.</p>
<p>regarding this comment by you:</p>
<p>“I rather KNOW that my paychecks are pretty much guaranteed than go for the riskier path and burn out and get nothing.”</p>
<p>an engineering degreed investment banker or hedge funder that burns out, typically burns out with millions of dollars in the bank (sometimes tens of millions), which would be a lot more than the “average engineer” that you state is simply satisfied with his bi-weekly check.</p>