[WhatsTheBigIdea]

Personally, I feel your average student is likely to perform quite poorly for the first couple years at a real job regardless of the institution they attended.

It is all about the individuals!

I've worked with so many people who grew up poor or had other disadvantages, went to community college or their local city or state school, and then turned into fabulously productive and insightful people.

Conversely, I've worked with so many people who graduated from elite institutions who have not turned out so well.

I'm the first to admit that the elite institutions generate a higher hit rate, but not nearly high enough for me to discount people coming out of lesser schools.

One of the smartest (and richest!) guys I know graduated from San Jose State.

City College of New York has graduated more Nobel Prize winners than any other institution in the world!

[BehindBlueEyes]

Could the more selective intake account for most of the higher hit rate? I have a hard time believing either education is actually better, except a fancier school helps build a network faster and increase chances of being sponsored/hired by alumni.