Not a new or controversial idea here, I'm 41 and this was the prevailing wisdom back when I was in high school and wasn't a new idea then either. Going to an I

Not a new or controversial idea here, I'm 41 and this was the prevailing wisdom back when I was in high school and wasn't a new idea then either. Going to an Ivy League school is and always has been mostly about having more "elite" networking opportunities and having an early social proof that you can get into an "elite" club. The value of the actual education received (especially at the undergrad level where access to more exotic lab equipment and such is less of an issue for most majors) is highly variable in terms of the school, the student, and the overlap between the two, just like in any other college setting.