The only thing a "top tier school" can really provide is the potential for a 'better' set of initial contacts in your network (eg startup founders and investors

The only thing a "top tier school" can really provide is the potential for a 'better' set of initial contacts in your network (eg startup founders and investors if you go to MIT, Rice, or Stanford). Beyond that - it's all pretty much the same: can you get the job done? Can you think? Can you communicate coherently? Those are the real biggies when I interview.