Such common preconception may in turn affect the self-image of their graduates and the kinds of career or opportunities they choose to pursue. In short, potential employers often see graduates of elite colleges as having the meritorious qualities that they seek, thus improving the latter's job prospects. At the same time, attending renowned schools may help improve students' self-confidence that allows them to strive for the best opportunities.
Second, our society still discriminate universities based on prestige. Employers more often reach out to graduates from prestigious schools. Some companies tend to make hiring decisions based more on what is shown on the applicants' resumes than on the interview process. If there are two resumes showing the same educational qualifications, interviewing priority will tend to be given to the applicant from an elite university over that from a state college. Since it will not be easy to change the inveterate discrimination of our society, it would in fact be in the best interest of students to strive to enter a prestigious university in order to improve their career opportunities.
Some people may argue that it is ridiculous to believe that second-tier schools are necessarily inferior to top schools. They maintain that most schools make comparable efforts to develop their students' potential and to prepare them to become more harmonious with our society. I also believe that a student's intellectual ability and his capacity for success are independent of institution ranking, and that students can obtain similar education experiences from various institutions. Those who attend smaller colleges are often as smart and capable as those who go to Oxford. For all of them, their career successes rely greatly on how well their strengths match particular jobs. For the former, however, the bias for elite institutions puts them somewhat at a disadvantage.
The race to top universities is also significant in when viewed from other perspectives.
