I think many of the so called elite schools are echo chambers that are overpriced and which saddle their students with too much debt. A different topic, for sure.
Uh, that's the point of the elite schools. They're top quality credentials! And you learn what echos you need to echo in order to fit in.
Look at law schools, for example. You've got your T3, T6, T14, and, generic law schools. The better the school, the less you actually have to work because the less your grades will matter. It's nearly impossible to fail out, even if you kind of actively try. If you go to a generic law school, you will have to actually attend class and work. They won't just hand you a diploma. Plus, you have to compete to win so that you become employable. All of them cost $150,000.
You're not paying for an education. You're paying for a global brand. Actually learning things is a side effect and purely incidental to meeting relevant people and getting a diploma with the right name on it.
