Why did you go to THAT college?

by Elyse
(NYC)

When I was fresh out of graduate school (master's degree) I was applying for research jobs. I got an interview scheduled at a firm where I was to meet with 5 people in a day. I met with people who would have my role, then the role above me, all the way up to the HR director.

All of the interviews went as expected--they asked about my interests, what I studied, my earlier work experience etc. Except for the the HR director, who, for better or worse, asked me the most memorable thing I've been asked in an interview. Never before or since has anyone asked me such a rude question...but she looked at my resume and said, "So, I see you went to Cornell, why not somewhere better, like Harvard or Princeton?"

I was pretty proud of my multiple Ivy League degrees from Cornell, and was really taken aback by this question. I did mention the types of majors they offered, as well as the in-state tuition savings there, but I was actually quite upset by the question.

FYI I did send all my thank-yous for my 5 interviews, and never heard back from the company one way or the other, which is probably a good thing!