The Ivy League and other elite private colleges are losing esteem

Perceived value of elite vs. state schools

• Many argue that, if admitted and cost is manageable, elite schools still offer unique opportunities: stronger peer group, brand, access to top labs and faculty, and better odds for certain careers (VC-backed startups, faculty jobs).
• Others think returns are overstated: for most careers, school brand matters mainly in the first 5–10 years, then experience dominates. Studies were cited suggesting similarly capable students do just as well at selective state schools.
• Some propose a strategy: do a cheap state-school STEM undergrad, then elite grad school.

Networking, class, and inequality

• Supporters stress the networking value: proximity to political heirs, billionaires’ kids, and very smart peers.
• Critics note that social and financial barriers make it hard for less wealthy students to “hang with” rich classmates; trips and lifestyles exclude them.
• There is debate on how much “connections” vs. personal drive or parental status drive long‑term success.

Employer attitudes and prestige trends

• Several commenters doubt the article’s claim that protests or “wokeness” are making employers shun elite grads, calling it punditry without data.
• Others say the relative advantage of Ivies has shrunk as tech hiring broadened and as distrust of universities, especially on parts of the right, has risen.
• Some insist elite degrees are still strong résumé assets, especially for founders raising money.

Cost, financial aid, and ROI

• Sticker prices (e.g., ~$90k/year private vs ~$40k/year in‑state) are widely seen as “bonkers.”
• However, elite privates are said to offer far better need-based aid than many state schools; for poor and some middle‑class students, net cost can be lower than public options.
• Others counter that high-achieving applicants could often get full rides at good state schools.

Politics, protests, and Israel/Palestine

• Large subthreads debate whether current Gaza protests meaningfully damage elite schools’ reputation or future hiring; many think past protest eras (Vietnam, Iraq) show these moments fade.
• There is intense disagreement over whether campus protests are antisemitic or anti‑Israel, whether they help or harm Palestinians, and how much outside actors (states, NGOs) influence them.
• Some see U.S. political protection of Israel as evidence of outsized influence; others argue elite academia has long been hostile to Israel and minimized antisemitism.

Admissions, merit, and institutional trust

• Commenters cite legacy preferences, athletic recruitment, scandal-driven distrust, the replication crisis, and affirmative action litigation as eroding the moral authority of Ivies.
• Others respond that similar issues exist at non‑elite schools, and that application growth means lower acceptance rates don’t necessarily imply greater true selectivity.
• Broader skepticism toward institutions since ~2016 is seen as a key driver of declining esteem for higher education overall.