<p>It is not just about a “name” brand. Look at the “name” schools and look at their endowments. Alumni donations, funding for research, financial aid, classroom technology are things that some universities have more than others. Also, the opportunity to see world leaders in every field in the world are simply more plentiful at Harvard than at the University of Illinois-Springfield. That is just reality. Personally, it sucks but it is reality. I think some of the cynicism is well justified, but the point is to enter these places and try to change them. I wish UCLA and Berkeley had the kind of financial aid initiatives that Stanford and Yale have, but they don’t.</p>