[Leica] Harvard tuition

[scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin)]

Before I said I thought kids that went to great undergraduate schools
exhibited some true "fire in the belly" - and before they thought about
paying their rent :-)   Lots of young adults get ambitious a little later -
about *money* - and only when they learn what a thin or empty wallet
is all about :-)

I just would never hire that 2nd kind of person. Not for the kind of
business I ran at the time.  I want intellectual passion, integrity and
authenticity; scope from the little picture up to the big picture. Really,
we had demanding criteria.

I turned down this one weird Harvard guy. He was just weird: quiet,
inarticulate, not really passionate. Good looking too, so an even odder
combination :-)

One of my stars was from Yale. Early employee and worked his butt
off. Dad was a Wharton Prof.  He was a total geek, but was acting CFO
when his first startup company raised institutional money (they were the
first TV listings web company, Canada listings too. Can't recall the name,
but they syndicated the content to tons of other Web properties).  What a
killer combo - a money man and a hardcore geek!!!.  See, those Ivy's
produce some weird folk :-)

Another of my brilliant "Practice Leads" was from W&L. Super smart.
Came to me after 4 or so years at Microsoft (fiance dragged him back
East). Played club LAX too :-)

But I'm the wrong guy to ask. My company was really weird and, frankly,
a really harsh place.  Interviews were done by "the dog pile."  A kind of
guantlet they had to run through all their would-be peers - in front of
everybody. Trial by fire. No matter what the other criteria, if the team
didn't like 'em, we didn't hire 'em.

Given our methods, we spent a big bucks on recruiting. I hired a strong
PWC personnel guy when we had only 20 folks or so.

For all I know, maybe Goldman or Mercer or DB or GM just stamp
"approved" on all the Ivy leaguers that apply.  I don't really know (but
my bro' was at DB and he came from Hopkins).

I guess my point is that you have to get into those places to get out of
those places.  It's not just grades and SATs. They really try to make a
blend of different talents and backgrounds in each class, they look for
"something special." You get the idea.  The class ring isn't just a label
(I don't personally know anyone who wears theirs);  it really does
reflect on the person who made it in, and made it back out the other
side.

Scott


Frank Filippone wrote:

>Scott....   Sounds like you are a graduate of Harvard.  Sounds further that 
>you do not believe in the unique advantages of wearing
>"The Ring" ( My perspective).
>
>Two newly graduated people apply for a job in your company.  Both are 
>identically qualified except that one went to Podunk U and the
>other went to Harvard.  Remember, they are identically qualified ( you can 
>name the criteria, they are identical) except the name of
>their college.
>
>Which do you hire?  Why?
>
>Frank Filippone
>red735i@earthlink.net 
>
>
>
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>Leica Users Group.
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>  
>

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