The Dark Side of Attending an Elite College
Whenever I meet up with friends from Penn or high school classmates that attended other top schools, the conversation always turns to a familiar topic:
What would life be like if I hadn’t attended a top college?
As someone who was obsessed with college admissions in high school, I fully bought into the myth that higher education at an elite school would make life easier. Better job opportunities, amazing connections and alumni network, and a sense of confidence that we would carry for the rest of our lives.
And to be honest — all of this was largely true. I had multiple six figure job offers in consulting and finance upon graduation. I was able to peek behind the curtain and examine the lives of the true global elite. And regardless of my work experience, college is still a major talking point in most interviews.
But all of this obscured the true opportunity cost of attending an elite school. And based on conversations with hundreds of similar grads, psychologists, and even professors teaching…
