It’s proxies all the way down. Evaluating candidates is really hard so employers rely on the prestige of their colleges. Evaluating professors is really hard s

It’s proxies all the way down. Evaluating candidates is really hard so employers rely on the prestige of their colleges. Evaluating professors is really hard so colleges rely on the prestige of their publications. Evaluating papers from post docs is really hard, so referees rely on the prestige of their advisors/institutions. Graduate admissions is really hard so admissions officers rely on the prestige of authors of letters of recommendation. Undergrad admissions is really hard so admissions officers rely on SAT and diversity factors.