I really don't think they see intern as a low status label, especially if they have an MIT jacket on, for example. I worked at a company with a CEO that did so

I really don't think they see intern as a low status label, especially if they have an MIT jacket on, for example. I worked at a company with a CEO that did something similar and asked interns to come to his desk to chat, which I did. This practice didn't exactly shield him from being cast as an out of touch billionaire when he ran for President.