Boston is cheap compared to so many other international cities like London, Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai, Mumbai, Beijing, Shanghai, soul, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, etc. I loved your real world examples. With your profile, there’s a high chance you would have got grants. Thoughts: Most graduates just stick to the finance path or the strategy consulting path. It’s a solid school. Agreed. It’s like being massively levered on a piece of real estate. – Alumni network (Apathy Ends mentioned this in a previous post) But I’m glad you recognize that life varies. 1) Cost. We only hear about famous people who went to Harvard. I’ve never read the book or the article, but it’s pretty funny that we’ve come up to the same conclusions and have even use the same institutions Eh Google and Goldman Sachs. (especially immigrants) Consider Harvard as a breeding ground for the blue-blooded girls and white-boned boys. Given what you say about this appointment, do you recommend people get their PhD’s today? NYU is a little more uncertain. Mission accomplished from a large university, but even more imporatnt was the internship and job right out of college that helped me along my investment path. Yes, and I’m now a professor. Very interesting post and follow up here. PolicyGenius is the easiest way to find free affordable life insurance in minutes. If so, that is amazing! Don’t let other people tell you that you need to do this and that first in order to get there. So I guess you could say we spent a lot of money on his summer experiences. Am not done yet. On the east coast New York is…well New York; and if you’re interested in government or public policy, DC is the obvious destination. I can see the stress and pressure one would feel going to an elite school Harvard though. How Much Does It Cost To Service A Patek Philippe Watch? So it’s rare to see him try both. That being said, I want to use that privilege to help people. But if you think about it, how excited can you really be marketing a toilet bowl cleaning wand as your career? Yes, you will need something to write about and experience certainly helps. I know life is a lot more than Harvard or Princeton. I hope you can continue to provide good advice. The same standard budget is used for all students. Most families don’t – I went to an extremely rigorous and high-pressure high school and I matriculated from not one but two state universities. I’ve always been aggressively focused on hanging out with people of all stripes, which, by the way, is why Burning Man is so awesome. He did have a few friends who didn’t have any career goals and they did flounder awhile but that Yale degree does open doors . Now that you can learn everything online for free, the stakes for achieving greatness have never been higher! Most PhD students will not achieve what they dreamed; they will instead feel as though they struggled and failed. Asians are actually the poorest in many areas of the US, with the highest income equality. Asian Americans are the highest earning racial group and the racial group with the highest chances of becoming a millionaire. Your email address will not be published. Because if the Harvard kids are routinely rejected from the top jobs, it’s more the same, and then some for the none Harvard kids. Thoreau, a Harvard graduate, is one of his role models. Statistically, the average age of a Harvard Extension school student is 34, and has around 5 years of real world work experience. I got my master’s in Engineering (online, but good program), but I am still consistently shot down for any non-service role. Harvard Law School, one of the world’s most prestigious institutions (No. I love, love the 2-year community college option and then transferring to a 4-year state school to save money, develop maturity, and get a better idea of what you want to do with your life. research shows that 75% of job success is defined by (1) optimism level, (2) social support level, and (3) ability to see stress as a challenge instead of a threat. Hey maybe, once I’m FI, and the school pays me to get my PHD, I will consider it. Occupation: Created a subscription newsletter about life hacks after spending a couple years at a large consumer internet startup (post MBA), a couple years as a VC associate (post MBA), product manager at another internet startup (pre MBA), and two years as a strategy consultant after undergrad. I graduated from UVA a couple years ago and have since been working at Treasury. What a disgrace to Harvard’s name!! They both attended elite Ivy League universities and ended up with over 180k of debt apiece from undergrad alone. Thank you for your kind thoughts and suggestions. Next do you want family work balance, or none? You get to make a difference now because you did things that people cared about and looked up to. Was it an intentional call? It’s free to sign up and explore. It’s not an easy path, but very doable. If everything goes well, you’ll have a great return, but if not, things won’t be so pretty. after the latest news that 800,000 Wells Fargo auto borrowers were improperly charged for auto insurance. Everybody somebody. Keep the power and the strength. That time is too precious. Thoughts: Another standard career path for those who attend Ivy league universities. I guess I struggle with what your conclusion is – Boston is not Manhattan, for sure, but are you suggesting that it should be, given how many Harvard alums are here? And he often went through difficult periods of unemployment because employers refused to hire him after they saw him in person at the interview. etc. Easy enough to learn with a quick Google/background check, but worth mentioning. I’m a public school teacher—I didn’t take AP classes in high school; I worked part time at Sears. No high pay, respect, prestige, career advancement opportunities, the option of ‘doing something more rewarding’ later on one hand AND not really be doing society a favor (which again, I’d rather have than the pile of money) on the other. Occupation: Goldman Sachs (1.5 years), international gaming company (3 years), Blizzard Entertainment producer (3 years), founder of own game company (3.5 years) before it shut down, founded another game company (4 years) but its game is still in beta. It looks like Bridgit Mendler has put her singing career on hold for a while longer, because she just posted some major news on … So in all your posts, you’re forgetting (or not knowing) about severe societal stigmas against hard-working, smart, and talented people who don’t deserve to be on the bottom rungs of society. I identify as American and appreciate Taiwanese, Japanese, and Chinese culture. It’s hard to believe it since I’m 7 years into a flatlined career, but the alternative (giving up) is much worse. I relate to a lot of what you write in your posts that people of other ethnicities would not say or think quite in the same way. The question of whether any achievement from the Harvard Extension School carries the same academic weight as actually going to Harvard is an important one for prospective and current students. soon- got in to their study abroad program 2nd semester of their freshman year- they are sending her to London to study, only 300 freshmen were chosen to do this program. Thanks Sam. It seems that if one is a pedigree snob, one only looks at the latest degree they have achieved. God always has provided our needs. I’m trying to understand more about where you are coming from. Thought-provoking post, Sam. Although it’s nice to donate money once you’ve made enough money, the people who are most inspiring are the teachers, professors, social workers, and non-profit advocates of the world. My 18 year is going to attend Boston Univ. I went to a very expensive, private university here in the states that currently has about 12K students (combined grad and undergrad). 13 years in the business only to burn out is not impressive. Sure, getting into top schools requires plenty of academic chops but admissions also considers a number of other factors. I also have never heard of TCK and had to look it up. The fact that Harvard is in the Boston area, and that therefore it’s logical that many settle here as a matter of circumstance, is a confounding variable that you didn’t address. The other part of it was not believing I was smart enough or good enough. I’m also hoping that more roles with transferrable skills (test engineer, service PM of some sort) will open up and companies will actually want my experience. What I do know is that with proper tutelage, mentorship, and all around nurture, a lot is possible without college today. [The original purpose of my search was to see if I could find anybody who started in a job like mine and moved to better things & (more importantly) HOW they did it. Our brightest students are encouraged by our most elite universities to use their brains to focus on wealth. It is worth noting the plethora of perspectives from which people view this post. I think about this a lot, and because I never had such guidance, I teach my kids as much as I can about different schools, career paths, and other things that I think will be helpful. I don’t know anybody who cares for the weight of their institution on paper, except for new grads, current students, or folks who feel lost or have not gotten on a path they want yet. And then there are the research scientists and doctors who are actually utilizing their incredible intelligence to give people hope. All of my alum friends more or less got the job (or at least type of job) they went for, so I’m alone on this one for now.]. But most of this stuff are my own insights that are correct – just from my own experiences, observations, and the experiences of others. There seems to be a lot of nuances and insights in your posts that I’ll never read in other financial blogs or other content in general. The Harvard law VPN make up one's mind have apps for just about every pattern – Windows and Mac PCs, iPhones, robot disposition, Smart TVs, routers and fewer – and spell they might language unit complex, it's straightaway element unhurried territory pressing a single button and effort connected. On that note, nice work getting on the first page of a search that wasn’t specifically for you. Thank you for all your posts, first of all. To outsiders, things are a bit different. he may keep working. Yes, people can learn things online for free – and learning will also come with life experience, travel, etc. Hi Ava – I can totally see how after graduating from a school like Harvard, you become much pickier with what job to choose, and therefore could end up underemployed for 4 years! I did not get my JD at a TTT, I wanted to practice procurement law. I went to The College of William & Mary, got my MBA from UC Berkeley and worked in finance for 13 years. I’m assuming if you went to Harvard or another Ivy League School, you won’t be offended by this article. Your assertion that if you go to an Ivy, you’d be wasting your potential to work the same job as someone who attended a state university is egregious. I did apply to a couple of elite institutions. I don’t see where you dispute that Boston is among the top 5 most expensive cities in the US, and wonder if you’d dispute that it’s among the top 5 economic powerhouses in the US. Is it Illegal to Use a Business Credit Card for Personal Use? So the total tuition cost for Harvard’s JD/MBA is $160,938. He survived. What the major or area of study is in (business, technology, liberal arts, etc.). Thanks for sharing, and congratulations for us and getting into Yale. Learn how your comment data is processed. If you go online to Asian sites on Reddit, Quora, or Plan A mag, you’ll see the everyday and complex stigmas, stereotyping, hostility, and injustice many Asian Americans suffer from. He managed to get a typical web development job at a company in DC. This problem in 2.) I LOVED it. The reason why parents emphasize on college. Were you able to get any scholarships? So the #1 grad from a state med school will have a better chance at a competitive residency program than a doctor graduating from the middle or bottom of an Ivy League med school. I want my kids to know it’s an option even if they decide not to pursue it. Thoughts: Punahou is the school I’d love for my son to attend if we move back to Hawaii. Impressive resume! I want him to be truly extraordinary and to me, that means taking the road less traveled. Harvard applicants have to do a lot and it can be overwhelming. Thanks for the post and the inspirations. Somehow my in-state education (undergrad + grad) got me to the same place as they are currently. Ho hum. The final part of it was I felt guilty if I did go to private school, and didn’t want the pressure the comes w/ spending $100,000+ at the time. There are many that live off yearly contracts and barely make more than the minimum wage. What an opportunity to go to London her first year already! So when my friends talk about sending their kids to college, I am the one rolling my eyes. Why do you think people in PE make so much when the returns are similar to the S&P 500 or less? My parents are immigrants who don’t speak english. The Porsche Interior: What Makes It Different? When the time comes, it’s going to be very interesting to see whether you’re willing to take the risk of going to college or not. If that money was invested at a 5% compounded rate of return, that might very well be a better trade. As that job winds down (3 years to go after 30+ years behind me), what shall I do for a second career? And even though I may have ended up in the same career, I would have loved to be the first in my family and in my town to go to the Ivy League. Anecdotally, my experience is that HBS is really good at picking students that will be successful regardless of where they did their undergrad. ‘we give 2 shits where you went to school’. Awkward, shy Asians are penalized much more than awkward, shy people of other ethnicities because that fits into the stereotype of Asians, and no one likes stereotypical Asians. I’m glad you had a son and he is now three years old! Many of these teachers who struggle to feed themselves leave the profession. The second one still gets paid less than me, and I went to a public university. ... An LLM is not worth it period! Harvard might give you a slight edge when angling for unicorn stuff, but that's making the huge assumption you'll be at the tippy top of your class, and even then it's questionable. I read your comments and wanted your opinion since you’re from the Boston area you mentioned. I respect my peers and the current leadership. I’m also not saving or funding any education past high school. Yet, when everything is now free online, as opposed to before the internet, this cost is even more egregious. All Money is not the be all end all. School is important but isn’t everything. But at the time I was so shy. Given the right environment and privileges, mankind is a lot more competitive and intelligent than a Harvard graduate. Can you even stomach working for under market rate, 80 hrs with a startup you don’t even really believe in or love passionately. https://www.businessinsider.com/malcolm-gladwells-david-and-goliath-2013-10. strategy consulting, VC, internet startup. Taking it down a level further, in addition to what institution one attends, what are your thoughts about what DEGREE level and/or study area one obtains? But that is a whole another topic. Looking back I missed a few things and it was due to not having enough guidance. What if your kid goes to Punahou and ends up a nobody? 人民大学的学生有没有对北京大学的学生有所嫉妒？我大三的时候上了北京师范大学。当时，北京只有三环路。我还记得跟我的同学只找到车到故宫去顺便停在马路旁边吃羊肉串跟喝燕京啤酒。这是1997年的时候。没想到北京会通过这么快的发的。我有点后悔大学以后没有去大陆创业。. Berkeley was a great melting pot for me to do that in, plus the socio-economic range was vast, with a contingent of us complaining about filling out financial aid forms, and at the same time doing roadtrips down to SoCal as we oohed/aahed over some of our friends’ homes. It’s just so tough being a financial consumer nowadays. These universities also taught me skills I now use daily in my work, as well as critical thinking (on a good day at least). degree and large law firms often require it. Due to a high savings rate, I am now comfortably retired. I wasn’t lucky enough to realize this until I was in my 30s. But it’s not. I would take the community college option, followed by a state 4-year school, followed by a graduate degree paid by an employer. I kind of feel I have had some of my retirement earlier in life, doing exactly what I wanted to do, which is good. The night he got accepted, I cried, and told him he had the golden ring, and his life would never be the same. Received great mentorship and pushed myself. Your post is referring to Harvard University as a whole, but I am (perhaps one of the few) who thinks it should be mentioned that George W. Bush went to Yale and Michelle Obama went to Princeton. Quick background on me: Catholic elementary and high school, Berkeley undergrad, University of Chicago MBA and (surprise!) Given he’s already decided to go to BU, the only thing you can do is manage her expectations. I thought that you were trying to conclude that Boston hasn’t benefited economically from its higher proportion of Harvard alums than have other international cities and that you’re using metrics like those of an “economic powerhouse” and cost of living as a yard stick. I’m trying to rebuild my self confidence by holding down a job for a few years. Of course, your employer cares how you do your job and not where you went to school. I wish more people did this because there’s so much inefficiency with larger corporations. Though a college grad (we met in college), my husband worked in manufacturing for 20 years, moving into management the last 2. But I did manage to graduate valedictorian in my high school class. Nobody is a social worker, educator, doctor, non-profit organizer. Just one person’s thought! I never had problems getting a job really because of where I went to school (save for during the recession). The joy I observe from my fellow teachers is next level compared to the joy and excitement I witness from my finance, consulting, law, and techie friends. You sound amazing and very secure, and I wish more parents were as confident, thoughtful, and well-informed as you seem to be. Thank you for responding to my comment!!! What degrees did you get? I think you’re conflating your value proposition (most fulfilling work is directly helping someone in need) as universal value proposition. I think we’re doing OK. I am sure he was influenced by the campus culture to go into finance as well. He took a loan for a law school. You said that Boston is relatively cheap compared to other major international cities and that since more Harvard alums end up there, it should be more of an economic powerhouse when compared to those cities. Only sales or development (business or technical) experience. However in finance, as you know, while Wall Street firms reject plenty of Harvard applicants, they also typically only interview at a few select institutions. AND I did meet the love of my life at my college. Perhaps making something like 400k or higher is not that important to me. the big help to society (see: inspiration blind woman in your article) but forgoing the easy wealth. Credibility, Prestige, and Opportunity are all then tinged with that sense of struggle and failure. They are all from MIT, Stanford, Duke, Dartmouth (I’m probably missing a few schools). You went to University of Chicago and work in investor relations at Wells Fargo Bank of all the terrible places in the world you could work. For lawyers in solo and small firms, Reddit is worth considering, according to legal technology columnist Bob Ambrogi. Unfornutately, our educational system is set up in a way that pushes students to make life changing decisions early on. Through all my experiences as well as what I’ve heard/read from others, including from studies – I’ve come to a lot of realizations. I’d love to be a project manager or test engineer, or anything that really uses my brain but no dice… for SEVEN. I’m an observer of life. Wu’s mission is to better understand the cultural distinctions that help explain these decision-making patterns—insight that is particularly relevant in the age of globalization and might help the growing numbers of Asian students in the U.S. better navigate the country’s higher-education system. It still makes for vicariously good reading but lets not say its an objective or good analysis of anyone’s life choices. I didn’t bother to apply to Duke b/c I knew I wouldn’t get any scholarships and I probably wouldn’t get in. Criminals in fact!! How about you? This post is really making me second-guess some things… I have an 18-year-old that got excepted and is going to Boston University. Most students at elite schools come from the upper 10% of the income tier. Helps to see the prize at the end of the journey. Do you have a PhD? Interesting perspective. And again, how well you do in medical school is more important than the name of the medical school (medical education is regulated so all med school grads receive basically the same education. If you go to private school K through college, we are talking $500,000 – $1,000,000. And a Gallup poll from 2014 of nearly 30,000 college graduates found that attending a prestigious college has no bearing on an individual’s happiness in life and work. IB. It’s all the data you had, but Linkedin profiles can be deceiving. 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