Originally Posted by Dude
Originally Posted by HowlerKarma
Exactly, but then again-- that does sort of take some of the shine off of just what "elite" means in that educational context, then, doesn't it?

"Elite" means "rich," obviously. The worth of a human life is measured in dollars and asset values. Hence, Walt Disney was more elite than Albert Einstein.

I prefer the term "relevant".

If you have more assets, you are necessarily more relevant because you are much more important to the continued smooth operation of the modern global hypereconomy than someone with no assets.

In fact, if you do not have any assets, you are probably serving as a drag on the modern global hypereconomy, and you are almost certainly ultimately reducing competitive profitability over longer timeframes. This may be what is causing global growth itself to slow.

If you are one of the most relevant institutions, such as the Ivy League, your primary institutional purpose is to maximize your continued relevance so that you become as close as possible to permanent and eternally relevant institution.

Remember, at any moment, *any* institution could fall into the dustbin of history and be lost forever. No one wants a world in which Princeton ceases to exist.

By attracting and retaining only the most relevant financial assets, the institution in question extends it's lifespan and survives so that it can continue to impart glory and profound meaning to all the generations yet to come.

The end.