<p>camelia: I know that college admissions are not a litmus test of character and potential, but some industries (IB) use college degrees as a sieving mechanism. And like Weskid noted, the idea that “HYP kids are the best and brightest” is perpetuated by the media and those who don’t know much about colleges. </p>
<p>I know some amazing Harvard students and graduates, and I’d have nothing to say if these were the people HYP take over me. But there’s a dolt out there who’s riding the coattails of all these people, commanding the awe the Harvard name gives without deserving it. That’s what gets me.</p>
<p>coreur: Let me put it this way. I can’t remember where I heard this from, but you’ll get the idea. “Columbia? I guess you’re smart. Yale? I KNOW you’re smart.” See the instant respect the name commands? And except for those top 200 kids, that instant respect is not justified.</p>
<p>Also, I don’t think it’s as simple as the difference between #5 and #8. There are tiers, starting with HYPSM, then a gap, followed by Penn/Columbia/Dart/Chicago/Duke etc.</p>
<p>Pizzagirl: Of course I know it’s loserish/poor form to whine about these things in real life! I said so in my previous post. You ended up with a nice consulting gig after turning Wharton down for MMSS (which I seriously considered). The difference is that you got into Wharton. You were a “winner”, you had the option to go there. Where you ended up eventually doesn’t matter as much.</p>
<p>People DO divide the world into HYP vs. everything else. See the quote in my response to coreur above. And though the person who said that may well be a blithering idiot, I can’t use that to justify my position. Whining about a broken system is unacceptable if you’re one of those who lost. It just makes you sound sorer.</p>
<p>Weskid: Good points. Nothing to say there.</p>