> You're learning the same material as the people who go to a state university. The advantage is the proximity to power, the people you rub elbows with who can help your career down the line.
I got my MS CS from Stanford and this is completely false. I did my BS CS at Georgetown, and even between the two there was a huge difference being at Stanford. The course material pushed me way harder, there were more resources (e.g. robots), a much wider selection of electives, and more consistently brilliant peers. I never felt behind at Georgetown; I certainly had those moments at Stanford, even though I did very well there in the end.
I got my MS CS from Stanford and this is completely false. I did my BS CS at Georgetown, and even between the two there was a huge difference being at Stanford. The course material pushed me way harder, there were more resources (e.g. robots), a much wider selection of electives, and more consistently brilliant peers. I never felt behind at Georgetown; I certainly had those moments at Stanford, even though I did very well there in the end.