[taildragger]

"A top performer at a mid-range institution is probably a good deal smarter than a low-range grad from a top school. Sometimes money means more about who gets into those top tier institutions than does intelligence. See: Obama."

A gnome in an industry that will remain nameless ( private reply later ) tells me tonight, recruiters are asking why did you choose Harvard @ 80k a year, explain it. The implied hook is are you paying for it and what do you really bring to our table as a recruiter. They are not so vaulted anymore and the Business world knows it and if it leaked to me a peon in fly over country, it maybe bigger than we realize...

[Carry_Okie]

They are not so vaulted anymore and the Business world knows it and if it leaked to me a peon in fly over country, it maybe bigger than we realize...

I'd agree with that but for a couple of qualifications: A decent graduate from a top technical school such as Cal Tech, MIT, Harvey Mudd, or Case Western Reserve is probably a pretty serious performer.