Between the volume of people we judge and the rapid, unequivocal test that’s applied to our choices, Y Combinator has been an unprecedented opportunity for learning how to pick winners. One of the most surprising things we’ve learned is how little it matters where people went to college.
This is what Paul Graham says in his latest essay. How little it actually matters to the success of a startup where you went to college.
In addition to the power of the brand name, graduates of elite colleges have two critical qualities that plug right into the way large organizations work. They’re good at doing what they’re asked, since that’s what it takes to please the adults who judge you at seventeen. And having been to an elite college makes them more confident.
While the bias towards elite schools exists in the US too, it isnt as profound (and in-your-face) as in the Indian society. In the US, there are still several top-tier schools (including the Ivy leagues) that fall into the ‘elite’ category. On the contrary, elite schools in India comprise mainly of the IIT’s and the IIM’s. An IIT-IIM education is highly sought after, extremely lucrative and well respected in the Indian society.
But the objective of my post is not to start the age old ‘are IITs IIMs worth the hype’ debate.
The point I wanted to stress upon is the fact that more than the IIT – IIM education, you have to believe in yourself. Fikr not if you did not make the cut – dont let insecurity creep in. The moment you start doubting yourself, you’re headed for mediocrity.
The unfortunate thing is not just that people are judged by such a superficial test, but that so many judge themselves by it. A lot of people, probably the majority of people in the America, have some amount of insecurity about where, or whether, they went to college.
Give the essay a read and let me know your thoughts about it. These insights, coming from a person of Paul Graham’s stature, are pretty thought provoking.
