Most elite institutions are decorated with ancient architecture. The Collegiate Gothic style creates the impression that these institutions have withstood the test of time. And indeed, many have. Harvard, Yale, and Columbia have endured beyond colonial rule and have existed since before dinosaur bones were discovered. They have survived the French and Indian War, the American Revolution, and the Civil War. That unwavering resilience is the reason why admissions specialists claim that the value of an elite institution won’t decline anytime soon, despite concerns that, as Goldman Sachs warned, AI is degrading the college degree “.”
, the CEO and founder of Ivy Link, assists students in preparing for college admissions as early as the fifth grade. The firm charges clients anywhere from $100,000 to $750,000—an amount that Nguyen described as “not even a rounding error” for many of these families.
A former admissions insider at Harvard and Columbia—and a graduate of Harvard Law School himself—Nguyen helps families build up their kids’ transcripts years before they head off to college, offering advice on everything from which extracurricular activities to participate in to which top high schools to attend. He dismissed the current concerns that college degrees are losing their value in the age of AI.
“These families aren’t focused on trends or what’s in the current news cycle or even campus protests,” Nguyen told . “They’re taking a long – term view, spanning decades or even centuries.”
Who the global elite turns to for Ivy admissions help
Nguyen characterizes his clients as “the global elite,” including leading figures in venture capital and wealth management, blockbuster Hollywood screenwriters, and even a “world – famous EDM DJ.” For these families, Nguyen said, college isn’t about short – term consumption but rather a long – term investment in the family’s wealth.
With the rise of AI and numerous controversies on college campuses across the country—from to —Americans’ opinions of elite institutions have deteriorated (though from the lowest point in 2024), and many the value of a four – year degree. But, as recruiters move away from the view that “where you go matters less” and , Nguyen said elite families may have been right all along.
Many wealthy families see college as a gold star that they can carry throughout their lives to maintain their status. “They use Ivy Link not necessarily to buy prestige but to reduce uncertainty and ensure that their children are recognized and have a brand that will last a lifetime.”
Time and again, those families are turning to the most elite colleges in the country. “These institutions that have weathered multiple cycles and trends and continue to serve as a filtering mechanism,” Nguyen said. “Ultimately, the vast majority of our clients still default to the elite universities.”
Shrugging off AI fears
Nguyen said his clients aren’t convinced that automation could one day make a degree worthless. He pointed out that since the recruitment process has been flooded with AI – generated applications, recruiters are increasingly relying on brand names to distinguish one candidate from another. “The employers I’ve interviewed have resorted—as the first screening step—to looking at the candidates’ colleges,” Nguyen said.
Recent recruitment trends support this view. A 2025 survey of over 150 companies found that more than a quarter were recruiting from a small selection of schools, up from 17% in 2022, according to recruiting intelligence firm Veris Insights, which conducted the research, as previously by the Wall Street Journal. Today, firms recruit from about 30 colleges—out of nearly 4,000 in the country—first looking at elite colleges and then schools near a company’s corporate offices.
Ivy Link’s clients go on to take up positions in law, tech startups, and finance – related fields, from investment banking to venture capital. AI has already threatened many of the industries these students are aiming to enter. However, Nguyen said that the rise of AI makes a degree from an elite institution even more crucial.
“To graduate, to get those mid – level, more experienced jobs, you have to master the fundamentals that AI is eliminating,” he said. “Traditional education is still important.”