Columbia, MIT Not Elite Enough?

If you want to work your way into the American aristocracy, it’s still possible—just don’t go to some mediocre college like Columbia or MIT. New research from a professor at Northwestern University says the leading law firms, investment banks, and consultancy firms are only interested in job candidates who went to “top five” schools: Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton and Wharton. And even then, recruiters eschew any candidate who is “boring,” a “tool,” or a “bookworm,” opting instead for people who have accomplished something outside of school, like climbing a renowned mountain, or winning a national championship. (That depends on the sport; crew is good, ping pong less so.) Some schools once considered a part of the elite club may no longer be. Some recruiters, for example, called Columbia University “second tier” or “just OK.”