The irreplaceable benefit of ivies, and especially Harvard, is getting an easy entry into established old-boy networks. It sucks for individuals who don't get

The irreplaceable benefit of ivies, and especially Harvard, is getting an easy entry into established old-boy networks. It sucks for individuals who don't get the opportunity to get this ticket to OBNs plus a good education, but for society as a whole, it's good that not everyone gets to go to Harvard. Universities should be part of their communities, not ivory towers. Students should come out of them willing to help their communities, not move to NY or SF and cash out quick. For an individual that's great. For society, it's mixed: sometimes the individual cashes out because they ve found a cure for cancer or a better way to grow food, but sometimes, because they played Soros with a country's currency.