Some good points -

Some good points - particularly the psychological one about self-fulfilling prophecy. Another way to look at what HBS does - or what any top business school does - is this: It allows you to develop strong relationships with people who have a high likelihood of becoming successful. These individuals may have the ambition to make things happen - or they may be uniquely / appropriately positioned (whether through family or prior work experience) to do so. Either way - developing relationships with these people may potentially be (immensely) useful down the road. If you meet these people at a networking event, you might talk for a few minutes, exchange emails, and go from there -- it's a weak relationship. You'll probably forget their name unless you see them a few times again. But with HBS (or any top business school) - you'll develop a much stronger relationship and connection - through ...